Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is refusing to be drawn on the continuing transfer speculation surrounding the Anfield club as he prepares for tonight’s Champions League qualifying match against Standard Liege.
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s first leg game, Benitez would not be drawn on the proposed Gareth Barry deal which hit the headlines again this weekend, after Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry declared Villa’s price tag to be too high.
“I am not thinking about signing players at the moment, because they cannot play against Liege tomorrow. I am only concentrating on this game,” said Benitez before adding, “And I have not needed to contact the owners because they cannot help with the preparation for this match. I prefer not to say anything else.”
The Liverpool manager’s relationship with the club’s American owners has been the subject of much friction and debate in recent months, yet Benitez insisted that off the field issues were not affecting his preparation for tomorrow night’s game. He confessed: “I have not been distracted, I have been focusing on this game and getting to the Champions League group stages.”
The Anfield club’s finances have been a source of much speculation in recent weeks with reports suggesting Benitez must sell players before he is able to bring in any new ones. Therefore, failure to qualify for the lucrative Champions League would bring untold financial pressures, however Benitez insisted he was not feeling the strain.
“There is no more pressure than in previous seasons, we all know how important it is to get past this qualifying round,” said the Spaniard before declaring, “Everyone knows how important the Champions League is for us, we must play well.”
Whilst Standard Liege are the current Belgian champions, Liverpool are widely expecting to progress and anything but a win will pile huge pressure on Benitez’s shoulders. However, Benitez doesn’t appear to be taking his opponents lightly, he said: “We know Standard are a good team, especially at home.”
One potential problem for the Reds is the likely absence of captain Steven Gerrard for the match, although the new strike force of Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane is expected to start and Benitez appears confident.
“Every club must be aware of the quality of your opponents,” said Benitez before adding, “You must be really focused for every game, you cannot change things once you have made a mistake.”
Yet despite the constant speculation surrounding the club at the moment, Benitez is clearly focused on the job in hand and knows exactly what he wants from his players. A fact he acknowledged by simply stating: “we must make sure that we do qualify for the next stage.”
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s first leg game, Benitez would not be drawn on the proposed Gareth Barry deal which hit the headlines again this weekend, after Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry declared Villa’s price tag to be too high.
“I am not thinking about signing players at the moment, because they cannot play against Liege tomorrow. I am only concentrating on this game,” said Benitez before adding, “And I have not needed to contact the owners because they cannot help with the preparation for this match. I prefer not to say anything else.”
The Liverpool manager’s relationship with the club’s American owners has been the subject of much friction and debate in recent months, yet Benitez insisted that off the field issues were not affecting his preparation for tomorrow night’s game. He confessed: “I have not been distracted, I have been focusing on this game and getting to the Champions League group stages.”
The Anfield club’s finances have been a source of much speculation in recent weeks with reports suggesting Benitez must sell players before he is able to bring in any new ones. Therefore, failure to qualify for the lucrative Champions League would bring untold financial pressures, however Benitez insisted he was not feeling the strain.
“There is no more pressure than in previous seasons, we all know how important it is to get past this qualifying round,” said the Spaniard before declaring, “Everyone knows how important the Champions League is for us, we must play well.”
Whilst Standard Liege are the current Belgian champions, Liverpool are widely expecting to progress and anything but a win will pile huge pressure on Benitez’s shoulders. However, Benitez doesn’t appear to be taking his opponents lightly, he said: “We know Standard are a good team, especially at home.”
One potential problem for the Reds is the likely absence of captain Steven Gerrard for the match, although the new strike force of Fernando Torres and Robbie Keane is expected to start and Benitez appears confident.
“Every club must be aware of the quality of your opponents,” said Benitez before adding, “You must be really focused for every game, you cannot change things once you have made a mistake.”
Yet despite the constant speculation surrounding the club at the moment, Benitez is clearly focused on the job in hand and knows exactly what he wants from his players. A fact he acknowledged by simply stating: “we must make sure that we do qualify for the next stage.”
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