Rafael Benitez admits that he finds it easier to influence European games than he does Premier League matches.
The Liverpool boss was reflecting after masterminding the Champions League first-leg triumph over Inter Milan on Tuesday, that lifted months of gloom from Anfield.
What is clear is that European football is his chosen battle ground and he has delivered success against the likes of Chelsea, Juventus, Barcelona, AC Milan, Olympiacos and Marseille when Liverpool had been written off.
That the Spaniard produced again on the really big occasion is no longer a surprise to Anfield observers, who have long accepted that Benitez is better in Europe than he is in the Premier League.
How else do you explain how Liverpool can be so poor against Luton, Havant and Waterlooville, Barnsley and Wigan, while capable of beating one of the form teams of Europe?
And with his own back firmly against the wall after continued speculation over his future, Benitez can afford a wry smile as Liverpool dare to contemplate a 12th appearance in a European Cup quarter-final if they can survive in the San Siro on March 11.
Benitez said: "In Europe you can approach a game tactically in a different way.
"In England it is a different style of football and more difficult for the manager to influence what goes on.
"It is not as simple to influence the game with tactics in England the way it is elsewhere in Europe."
Liverpool will take a 2-0 lead to Milan for the last 16 second-leg next month, and Benitez insists: "We have made it very difficult for Inter now, two goals and a clean sheet.
"But they have a lot of good players and we will need to show plenty of respect and approach the game with confidence, but no complacency.
"There, I suppose, is the prospect of history repeating itself with us going for a European final when we are not in the title race (as in 2005).
"But I would prefer not to think that far ahead, I always say 'one game at a time' and never has that phrase been more appropriate.
Liverpool won their 100th home European game, and Benitez said: "We have an important and difficult game still to come, and the San Siro will be full and determined to help their side.
It took late strikes from Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard to turn Liverpool superiority into Champions League points.
But Benitez said: "I always had confidence that we would score. We were attacking a lot and one goal I felt was likely. So to get two like we did was I suppose, a surprise. But we certainly deserved to at least score.
"The victory was important for the club. We needed to play well for our own people, and the attitude of the players was very good. The whole night was really important for everyone at Liverpool.
"Everyone knew we needed to perform well, that was really the point after so much had been said about us.
"I have always had confidence in the team. If we can play like we did against Inter over and over again, it will be good and we will win a lot of games.
"I know what people were saying (about me). But as a professional you must be ready for every game, to prepare for every game the best you can and with the same ideas.
"You must concentrate, analyse everything, but above all be professional and do your job as best you can whatever the circumstances.
"Maybe the 'dressing room' felt the need to prove people wrong. But their attitude was no different really to plenty of other games.
"Some games we have played well and not won. The difference this season is that we have not been scoring enough goals even when we are well on top, and we have conceded goals too easily at times.
"That is why the confidence goes and you cannot win games in those situations."
But he added: "This lead now is a big boost. We have confidence, because Inter are at the moment the best in Europe. They are top in Italy and have now lost just two games all season.
"If you can beat teams like that and play well, it gives us a high level of confidence in the squad.
"Now we have another important league game at the weekend at home to Middlesbrough. What we need to be is more consistent now.
"We must also accept that if we cannot score when we have clear chances we must keep going, keep working and make sure we do not concede a goal instead.
"We were aiming for a clean sheet, and two goals makes it better still.
"We will go to Milan with confidence but they are really good so we will not be over-confident.
"You could see the quality of Inter's players. And just look at their bench, they had (Patrick) Vieira, (Hernan) Crespo, (Luis) Figo plus very good defenders like (Nicolas) Burdisso.
"That is the sort of quality you are up against, that is why they will be very difficult in Milan."
The Liverpool boss was reflecting after masterminding the Champions League first-leg triumph over Inter Milan on Tuesday, that lifted months of gloom from Anfield.
What is clear is that European football is his chosen battle ground and he has delivered success against the likes of Chelsea, Juventus, Barcelona, AC Milan, Olympiacos and Marseille when Liverpool had been written off.
That the Spaniard produced again on the really big occasion is no longer a surprise to Anfield observers, who have long accepted that Benitez is better in Europe than he is in the Premier League.
How else do you explain how Liverpool can be so poor against Luton, Havant and Waterlooville, Barnsley and Wigan, while capable of beating one of the form teams of Europe?
And with his own back firmly against the wall after continued speculation over his future, Benitez can afford a wry smile as Liverpool dare to contemplate a 12th appearance in a European Cup quarter-final if they can survive in the San Siro on March 11.
Benitez said: "In Europe you can approach a game tactically in a different way.
"In England it is a different style of football and more difficult for the manager to influence what goes on.
"It is not as simple to influence the game with tactics in England the way it is elsewhere in Europe."
Liverpool will take a 2-0 lead to Milan for the last 16 second-leg next month, and Benitez insists: "We have made it very difficult for Inter now, two goals and a clean sheet.
"But they have a lot of good players and we will need to show plenty of respect and approach the game with confidence, but no complacency.
"There, I suppose, is the prospect of history repeating itself with us going for a European final when we are not in the title race (as in 2005).
"But I would prefer not to think that far ahead, I always say 'one game at a time' and never has that phrase been more appropriate.
Liverpool won their 100th home European game, and Benitez said: "We have an important and difficult game still to come, and the San Siro will be full and determined to help their side.
It took late strikes from Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard to turn Liverpool superiority into Champions League points.
But Benitez said: "I always had confidence that we would score. We were attacking a lot and one goal I felt was likely. So to get two like we did was I suppose, a surprise. But we certainly deserved to at least score.
"The victory was important for the club. We needed to play well for our own people, and the attitude of the players was very good. The whole night was really important for everyone at Liverpool.
"Everyone knew we needed to perform well, that was really the point after so much had been said about us.
"I have always had confidence in the team. If we can play like we did against Inter over and over again, it will be good and we will win a lot of games.
"I know what people were saying (about me). But as a professional you must be ready for every game, to prepare for every game the best you can and with the same ideas.
"You must concentrate, analyse everything, but above all be professional and do your job as best you can whatever the circumstances.
"Maybe the 'dressing room' felt the need to prove people wrong. But their attitude was no different really to plenty of other games.
"Some games we have played well and not won. The difference this season is that we have not been scoring enough goals even when we are well on top, and we have conceded goals too easily at times.
"That is why the confidence goes and you cannot win games in those situations."
But he added: "This lead now is a big boost. We have confidence, because Inter are at the moment the best in Europe. They are top in Italy and have now lost just two games all season.
"If you can beat teams like that and play well, it gives us a high level of confidence in the squad.
"Now we have another important league game at the weekend at home to Middlesbrough. What we need to be is more consistent now.
"We must also accept that if we cannot score when we have clear chances we must keep going, keep working and make sure we do not concede a goal instead.
"We were aiming for a clean sheet, and two goals makes it better still.
"We will go to Milan with confidence but they are really good so we will not be over-confident.
"You could see the quality of Inter's players. And just look at their bench, they had (Patrick) Vieira, (Hernan) Crespo, (Luis) Figo plus very good defenders like (Nicolas) Burdisso.
"That is the sort of quality you are up against, that is why they will be very difficult in Milan."
No comments:
Post a Comment