Sami Hyypia admits fourth place is the “minimum requirement” for Liverpool in the Premier League this season.
Rafael Benitez’s side were indebted to a hat-trick from Fernando Torres to secure an unconvincing 3-2 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday and move them back into the top four with only their second league win since Boxing Day.
Hyypia said: “Everyone can smile now we’ve got the three points, but the game didn’t go as we planned but in the end the result was right.
“For their first goal, at first I thought it was a clear offside, but I guess somebody played Tuncay on because he got to the ball early and scored.
“It was a bit unnecessary to give that goal away and their second could have been avoided as well so from that point of view we can’t be that happy, but Fernando scored a good hat-trick and we got three points so that’s the most important thing.”
Liverpool’s next game is at Bolton Wanderers on Sunday, and Hyypia added: “Bolton’s not an easy place to go to, but if we get three points there we’ll be on target for fourth place which is the minimum requirement.
“All the Bolton games have been bruising games in my experience – after them you’re bruised all over – but so long as we get the three points it doesn’t matter.”
With Jamie Carragher serving a one-match suspension and Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger considered not fit enough to start, Hyypia was partnered by makeshift centre-back Alvaro Arbeloa at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.
And the Finland international said: “It’s not been a settled back four all season, but with all the injuries we’ve had it’s not always been easy to have a regular back four.
“But if the defence was the same all season there would probably be four very unhappy players who wouldn’t play at all.”
Liverpool appeared jaded by their European exploits against Inter Milan in midweek, and manager Benitez conceded the win was hugely important.
“After a Champions League game, the players sometimes are a little bit tired and it’s difficult to keep everyone ready for a Premier League game,” he said.
“It was really important for us to win, and now we have a week to prepare for Bolton then we have four games in 10 days. It was important for us to get back up into the top four.”
Middlesbrough, who had Jeremie Aliadiere sent off on 85 minutes, picked up five bookings and are now facing a £50,000 fine for the indiscipline.
And Boro manager Gareth Southgate said: “We are upset because we felt we did enough right to get something from it.
“We then suffered a red card when we had turned the tide. It’s harsh but Jeremie will have to learn from that.”
Rafael Benitez’s side were indebted to a hat-trick from Fernando Torres to secure an unconvincing 3-2 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday and move them back into the top four with only their second league win since Boxing Day.
Hyypia said: “Everyone can smile now we’ve got the three points, but the game didn’t go as we planned but in the end the result was right.
“For their first goal, at first I thought it was a clear offside, but I guess somebody played Tuncay on because he got to the ball early and scored.
“It was a bit unnecessary to give that goal away and their second could have been avoided as well so from that point of view we can’t be that happy, but Fernando scored a good hat-trick and we got three points so that’s the most important thing.”
Liverpool’s next game is at Bolton Wanderers on Sunday, and Hyypia added: “Bolton’s not an easy place to go to, but if we get three points there we’ll be on target for fourth place which is the minimum requirement.
“All the Bolton games have been bruising games in my experience – after them you’re bruised all over – but so long as we get the three points it doesn’t matter.”
With Jamie Carragher serving a one-match suspension and Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger considered not fit enough to start, Hyypia was partnered by makeshift centre-back Alvaro Arbeloa at the heart of Liverpool’s defence.
And the Finland international said: “It’s not been a settled back four all season, but with all the injuries we’ve had it’s not always been easy to have a regular back four.
“But if the defence was the same all season there would probably be four very unhappy players who wouldn’t play at all.”
Liverpool appeared jaded by their European exploits against Inter Milan in midweek, and manager Benitez conceded the win was hugely important.
“After a Champions League game, the players sometimes are a little bit tired and it’s difficult to keep everyone ready for a Premier League game,” he said.
“It was really important for us to win, and now we have a week to prepare for Bolton then we have four games in 10 days. It was important for us to get back up into the top four.”
Middlesbrough, who had Jeremie Aliadiere sent off on 85 minutes, picked up five bookings and are now facing a £50,000 fine for the indiscipline.
And Boro manager Gareth Southgate said: “We are upset because we felt we did enough right to get something from it.
“We then suffered a red card when we had turned the tide. It’s harsh but Jeremie will have to learn from that.”
No comments:
Post a Comment