Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Liverpool's Benitez Guards Against PSV Complacency

Rafa Benitez finds himself in an unusual position - guarding against complacency ahead of Liverpool's home game against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Liverpool's best start to a domestic season since 1996 has raised expectations that the 19th English league title is finally in sight after falling short for 19 years.

And as Benitez prepares for his 250th match in charge of Liverpool, for once he doesn't need the Champions League as a convenient distraction from domestic struggles with his players beginning brightly in both competitions.

The Reds are only being kept off the top of Group D by Chelsea on goal difference after opening with a 2-1 win at Marseille.

"When you are playing well, winning games and everyone is talking about how good you are, it's important to calm down,'' Benitez said Tuesday. "It is dangerous when you hear people talking well about your team that we always keep them concentrating on the future.

"But it is better to manage expectations now than be bottom of the table and trying to motivate players.''

Benitez is even moving away from his favored rotation policy.

"If the players are fit and on fire, maybe it's a good moment to keep them (in the team),'' Benitez said.”But (they) have plenty of room for improvement physically.''

Fernando Torres ended a six-game goal drought to score twice as Liverpool beat city rival Everton 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday. Benitez wants to maintain the momentum to prevent a repeat of last year's stuttering Champions League start, which forced Liverpool to win its last three group matches to advance to the knockout phase.

"We remember the experience of last season and after three games we had just one point,'' Benitez said.”Now we have three points, so we are in a much better position and we would be like be after two more games almost qualified.''

PSV lost 3-0 at home to Atletico Madrid in the opening round, but Benitez is still wary of the threat PSV will pose.

"They are dangerous because they have good players on the counterattack and players with ability,'' he said.

Liverpool dominated PSV in the 2006-07 campaign, picking up three victories and a draw against the Dutch club en route to a defeat to AC Milan in the final.

But Netherlands winger Dirk Kuyt, who arrived at Anfield from Feyenoord in 2006, said the current PSV side presents a big change from the one that conceded six goals without reply in those four previous encounters.

"They are very different from the last time we played against them,'' he said. "(Heurelho) Gomes, the goalkeeper, is now at Spurs; Phillip Cocu has retired; and a lot of other players have also gone to other clubs. They are a totally different side, but they are still the best in Holland.

"They have won the league six times in a row, I think, so they're a very good team and we have to be ready.''

PSV coach Huub Stevens is pessimistic about his side's chances at Anfield after falling to Atletico.

"It was really disappointing to start the campaign with such a heavy home defeat,'' Stevens said.”We know we just have to learn from what happened, because going to Liverpool will be even more difficult. But we have only played one match, there are still five to go so we can turn this round.''

No comments: