[lfc-news] Benitez: Defence is key

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Benitez: Defence is key
By Alex Dunn - Created on 27 Oct 2005
http://home.skysports.com/list.asp?HLID=320225&CPID=8&title=Benitez:+Defence+is+key&lid=2&channel=Football_Home&f=rss
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez admits his philosophy is based on having a
strong defence rather than attacking intent.

The European champions have endured a barren run in front of goal this
season, with just five goals in eight Premiership games cause for real
concern.

Liverpool's approach has been criticised in some quarters for its dour
dimensions but Benitez is unapologetic in his stance that all good sides
start with a strong defence.

Whilst Fernando Morientes, Djibril Cisse and Peter Crouch continue to fire
blanks, Liverpool have shown in Europe that their counter-attacking
approach can reap rich dividends.

''The first priority is to improve defensive tactical play because it is
less complicated than the attacking side and is important for success,''
wrote Benitez in a Uefa newsletter.

''The most important thing for me is to be organised. I work on a lot of
patterns of play and, of course, as the statistics prove, counter-attacks
and set-plays are very important.''

Although Liverpool are struggling for form at present, Benitez employed a
similar style to great success in Spain with Valencia - a side who he
believes understood his instructions implicitly.

''It was a team that worked very hard and had been together three years,''
he reminisced.

''We were therefore able to talk about where and when to do the pressing.
They knew what to do, and we could change tactics quickly.

''This was a team which understood our style and what we were trying to do.''

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