Rafael Benitez acknowledges that Liverpool's clash with Manchester City on Saturday is 'make or break' to their hopes of ensuring Champions League football next season.
The stakes are very high for boss Benitez, who has sent four players - Yossi Benayoun, Albert Riera, Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio - to Belgrade this week for unorthodox placenta cell treatment on their injuries.
Now all four, plus injured trio Fernando Torres, Daniel Agger and skipper Steven Gerrard, should be available to face Mark Hughes' ambitious side.
Benitez said: 'This is a big game, an important game. But then all Liverpool games are important. But this could be described as a make-or-break game for our season.
'We are aware of City's ambitions. They have spent some money on good players and they also have a good manager with experience.
'It will be tough, and important for us to win particularly with the Champions League game away to Debrecen next week. A good win will give us all confidence for that.
'We want to progress and we want to be higher in the table. We want to continue playing big teams and playing for something important.
'But it is too early to talk about final league positions, but clearly it is a big game for both clubs. But we must be confident we can win.
'I am not amongst the managers, 80 per cent I am told, in the Premier League who believe City will finish in the top four. We will be in the top four.'
Although City have been left clutching at draws recently, failing to win from their last five games, Liverpool are also under pressure to break their own poor form in the league following their 2-2 home draw with newly-promoted Birmingham nearly a fortnight ago.
Benitez added: 'The aim is to kick-start our season.
'We must improve and a win will be a real lift for everyone.'
'We know City have money and they have spent a lot, but we must not just keep looking at what they are doing.
'What we have to do is to keep going, keep playing at our best.
'We are not in a good position in the table or in the Champions League.
'But we cannot change what has already happened.
'We need to win two or three games and the attitude will be totally different, with the fans and players having more belief.
'It is normally against good teams that we do best because the games are more open. We did it against Manchester United, and we aim to do the same to City.'
The stakes are very high for boss Benitez, who has sent four players - Yossi Benayoun, Albert Riera, Glen Johnson and Fabio Aurelio - to Belgrade this week for unorthodox placenta cell treatment on their injuries.
Now all four, plus injured trio Fernando Torres, Daniel Agger and skipper Steven Gerrard, should be available to face Mark Hughes' ambitious side.
Benitez said: 'This is a big game, an important game. But then all Liverpool games are important. But this could be described as a make-or-break game for our season.
'We are aware of City's ambitions. They have spent some money on good players and they also have a good manager with experience.
'It will be tough, and important for us to win particularly with the Champions League game away to Debrecen next week. A good win will give us all confidence for that.
'We want to progress and we want to be higher in the table. We want to continue playing big teams and playing for something important.
'But it is too early to talk about final league positions, but clearly it is a big game for both clubs. But we must be confident we can win.
'I am not amongst the managers, 80 per cent I am told, in the Premier League who believe City will finish in the top four. We will be in the top four.'
Although City have been left clutching at draws recently, failing to win from their last five games, Liverpool are also under pressure to break their own poor form in the league following their 2-2 home draw with newly-promoted Birmingham nearly a fortnight ago.
Benitez added: 'The aim is to kick-start our season.
'We must improve and a win will be a real lift for everyone.'
'We know City have money and they have spent a lot, but we must not just keep looking at what they are doing.
'What we have to do is to keep going, keep playing at our best.
'We are not in a good position in the table or in the Champions League.
'But we cannot change what has already happened.
'We need to win two or three games and the attitude will be totally different, with the fans and players having more belief.
'It is normally against good teams that we do best because the games are more open. We did it against Manchester United, and we aim to do the same to City.'
No comments:
Post a Comment