RAFAEL Benitez has called on his Liverpool players to prove they are worthy Premier League leaders.
The Anfield manager, however, wants his players to grasp the opportunity at home to Portsmouth tonight to strengthen their lead at the top while trying desperately to keep the lid on the rapidly-growing expectation among the club’s supporters.
Benitez, who will again be without hamstring casualty Fernando Torres, said: “It is a crucial week for us. We are at the top for the first time and everybody is waiting for our reaction, to see whether we can we handle it.
“The key for me is that the team is working together, all of them helping and motivating their team-mates. That is a massive difference.
“It is good to have confidence, but there is a long way to go. I do not want to hear people saying, ‘We can do this or that.’ Forget it. I want them to go out and do it.
“Keeping a lid on expectation is difficult. The fans want to see the team at the top and they badly want the title, so it is difficult to keep our people calm.”
Benitez understands the desire among Liverpool fans for a title triumph after an 18-year famine since they last lifted the English crown.
But he said: “We are top, and we are pleased to be there. But we also have a clear understanding and vision about the future, and we know there are a lot more games to go.
“The team has confidence and is playing well, but we dare not allow our thoughts to stray too far beyond Portsmouth next.
“But there is a massive difference between this season and previous seasons. There is a character and quality about our team, and I cannot hide this. Everything is very positive but we know how difficult it is to win titles so we just must keep going.”
Sunday’s 1-0 win at Chelsea, ending the west Londoners’ 86-game unbeaten home league run, has seen Liverpool’s title odds slashed and a realisation that this Benitez side has the makings of champions.
Benitez said: “We know that if we want to stay at the top we must keep on winning the next games, if we do not then people will say that all we did at Chelsea is wasted.
“Each season you know you have to win virtually every game. The big teams lose very few.
“And we find that every team that comes to Anfield plays defensively, deep and it is very difficult to break them down. But that is the Premier League.”
The Anfield manager, however, wants his players to grasp the opportunity at home to Portsmouth tonight to strengthen their lead at the top while trying desperately to keep the lid on the rapidly-growing expectation among the club’s supporters.
Benitez, who will again be without hamstring casualty Fernando Torres, said: “It is a crucial week for us. We are at the top for the first time and everybody is waiting for our reaction, to see whether we can we handle it.
“The key for me is that the team is working together, all of them helping and motivating their team-mates. That is a massive difference.
“It is good to have confidence, but there is a long way to go. I do not want to hear people saying, ‘We can do this or that.’ Forget it. I want them to go out and do it.
“Keeping a lid on expectation is difficult. The fans want to see the team at the top and they badly want the title, so it is difficult to keep our people calm.”
Benitez understands the desire among Liverpool fans for a title triumph after an 18-year famine since they last lifted the English crown.
But he said: “We are top, and we are pleased to be there. But we also have a clear understanding and vision about the future, and we know there are a lot more games to go.
“The team has confidence and is playing well, but we dare not allow our thoughts to stray too far beyond Portsmouth next.
“But there is a massive difference between this season and previous seasons. There is a character and quality about our team, and I cannot hide this. Everything is very positive but we know how difficult it is to win titles so we just must keep going.”
Sunday’s 1-0 win at Chelsea, ending the west Londoners’ 86-game unbeaten home league run, has seen Liverpool’s title odds slashed and a realisation that this Benitez side has the makings of champions.
Benitez said: “We know that if we want to stay at the top we must keep on winning the next games, if we do not then people will say that all we did at Chelsea is wasted.
“Each season you know you have to win virtually every game. The big teams lose very few.
“And we find that every team that comes to Anfield plays defensively, deep and it is very difficult to break them down. But that is the Premier League.”
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