Rafa Benitez rarely tells stories about incidents that happen on the training ground or in the privacy of his plush Melwood office.
While some cannot stop themselves talking about how a certain player conjured up a moment of exquisite ability in practice, Benitez prefers to keep his own counsel, feeling there is no need to let the world in on incidents that happen behind closed doors.
Where Javier Mascherano is concerned, however, Liverpool’s manager has been moved to take a break from what is his norm following the midfielder’s exceptional performance as an auxiliary right-back in the win over Blackburn Rovers last week.
The tale goes like this. With Martin Skrtel injured and Sotirios Kyrgiakos serving a ban, Benitez was faced with a big dilemma heading in to that particular contest around who would patrol the flank given that Jamie Carragher was needed in the middle.
Pitching Glen Johnson back into battle was out of question, due to his lack of match practice and training, but Philipp Degen was an option, so too Martin Kelly, who had made his return to action as a substitute against Unirea Urziceni.
Yet after much deliberation with his backroom staff, Benitez kept returning to the subject of Mascherano, who had played out of his skin in the role when circumstances required he move there during a breathless success over Everton last month.
Asking a player to move from his comfort zone, though, is no easy task these days and when Benitez beckoned the midfield dynamo in to his room, he was unsure how Mascherano would take the news but 30 seconds later, the answer told him everything he knew all along.
“Before the game against Blackburn, we were having a conversation and talking about who to play at right-back,” said Benitez, taking up the story. “We knew Carra had to play as a centre-back, as Soto was suspended and (Martin) Skrtel had suffered an injury.
“So we decided to talk with Javier. I took him in to my office and I said ‘listen, we are thinking about playing you as a right-back. He just turned around and said ‘fine’. We finished the conversation there and then. He was just so pleased to help.
The attitude was fantastic. He just said ‘yes’ straight away, no problem and away he went. That is not his position. But he played really well and his commitment was fantastic. I am so happy with this attitude.”
No wonder, then, more talks have taken place in Benitez’s office during the past seven days, this time relating to Mascherano’s future; a new deal has been thrashed out, which would tie the 25-year-old to Anfield until 2014, and a successful outcome is anticipated.
While his form and commitment to Anfield was rightly called into question at the start of the campaign, when Barcelona’s vigorous pursuit of his signature proved disruptive, in the past six months only Pepe Reina and Carragher have matched his consistency.
With the pursuit of a Champions League place taking Liverpool to Wigan Athletic, Mascherano will again be required to play a key role but, as the treatment room has been cleared and a suspension over, on this occasion it will be in a more familiar role.
It will, inevitably, be a busy week for Mascherano as, after the skirmish at the DW Stadium, tomorrow attentions will turn to the round of 16 Europa League first leg clash with Lille and a short hop to northern France. Such a short turnaround between games is far from ideal but Mascherano would much prefer to have this kind of schedule rather than just flitting from week to week, concentrating simply on domestic affairs.
So before attentions turn to Lille, Wigan must be beaten to keep the momentum building behind the charge to the top four and Mascherano feels the return to form of influential figures Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will ultimately prove decisive.
“It was very important for everyone at the club that we got through the last round,” said Mascherano. “Now we are thinking about the Premier League and we have got to make sure we keep on improving and keep winning before we play in Europe again.
“If you ask the players, the majority will say the same. We want to play as many games as we can and we will try to continue in Europe as long as we can, as we are all desperate to arrive at the final. To do that would be great for us.
“We have to keep switching in between targets and this is another important game for us. We have got to try and win. The more we keep doing that, the more we will put pressure on the other teams around us and get back into the top four.
“We have started scoring goals again and it is giving the players confidence to go forward. We have been defending well but it’s important for the team that we add goals to what we have been doing at the back.
“The signs have been good but we have got to continue and keep improving if we can. We have a duty to give the forward players service. It’s like Stevie. He has been breaking records recently and we hope he can keep playing unbelievable for himself and the team.”
As Skrtel won’t play until the middle of April and Daniel Agger’s participation is threatened by injury, Benitez is likely to ask Sotirios Kyrgiakos to assume the role he was filling with aplomb before his sending off in the Anfield derby on February 6.
“Soto started really well,” Benitez pointed out. “He couldn’t play too many games when he first arrived because Carra, Skrtel and Agger were all available. We brought him here because he was really good in the air and he showed that against Bolton.
“He is a fantastic professional and very good lad. He is always ready, keen to learn but I was surprised when he came in because I thought his English would be better, as he played in Scotland but he said to me ‘I couldn’t understand any words!’
“But I’m really pleased with him now and hopefully he can play more games.”
While some cannot stop themselves talking about how a certain player conjured up a moment of exquisite ability in practice, Benitez prefers to keep his own counsel, feeling there is no need to let the world in on incidents that happen behind closed doors.
Where Javier Mascherano is concerned, however, Liverpool’s manager has been moved to take a break from what is his norm following the midfielder’s exceptional performance as an auxiliary right-back in the win over Blackburn Rovers last week.
The tale goes like this. With Martin Skrtel injured and Sotirios Kyrgiakos serving a ban, Benitez was faced with a big dilemma heading in to that particular contest around who would patrol the flank given that Jamie Carragher was needed in the middle.
Pitching Glen Johnson back into battle was out of question, due to his lack of match practice and training, but Philipp Degen was an option, so too Martin Kelly, who had made his return to action as a substitute against Unirea Urziceni.
Yet after much deliberation with his backroom staff, Benitez kept returning to the subject of Mascherano, who had played out of his skin in the role when circumstances required he move there during a breathless success over Everton last month.
Asking a player to move from his comfort zone, though, is no easy task these days and when Benitez beckoned the midfield dynamo in to his room, he was unsure how Mascherano would take the news but 30 seconds later, the answer told him everything he knew all along.
“Before the game against Blackburn, we were having a conversation and talking about who to play at right-back,” said Benitez, taking up the story. “We knew Carra had to play as a centre-back, as Soto was suspended and (Martin) Skrtel had suffered an injury.
“So we decided to talk with Javier. I took him in to my office and I said ‘listen, we are thinking about playing you as a right-back. He just turned around and said ‘fine’. We finished the conversation there and then. He was just so pleased to help.
The attitude was fantastic. He just said ‘yes’ straight away, no problem and away he went. That is not his position. But he played really well and his commitment was fantastic. I am so happy with this attitude.”
No wonder, then, more talks have taken place in Benitez’s office during the past seven days, this time relating to Mascherano’s future; a new deal has been thrashed out, which would tie the 25-year-old to Anfield until 2014, and a successful outcome is anticipated.
While his form and commitment to Anfield was rightly called into question at the start of the campaign, when Barcelona’s vigorous pursuit of his signature proved disruptive, in the past six months only Pepe Reina and Carragher have matched his consistency.
With the pursuit of a Champions League place taking Liverpool to Wigan Athletic, Mascherano will again be required to play a key role but, as the treatment room has been cleared and a suspension over, on this occasion it will be in a more familiar role.
It will, inevitably, be a busy week for Mascherano as, after the skirmish at the DW Stadium, tomorrow attentions will turn to the round of 16 Europa League first leg clash with Lille and a short hop to northern France. Such a short turnaround between games is far from ideal but Mascherano would much prefer to have this kind of schedule rather than just flitting from week to week, concentrating simply on domestic affairs.
So before attentions turn to Lille, Wigan must be beaten to keep the momentum building behind the charge to the top four and Mascherano feels the return to form of influential figures Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will ultimately prove decisive.
“It was very important for everyone at the club that we got through the last round,” said Mascherano. “Now we are thinking about the Premier League and we have got to make sure we keep on improving and keep winning before we play in Europe again.
“If you ask the players, the majority will say the same. We want to play as many games as we can and we will try to continue in Europe as long as we can, as we are all desperate to arrive at the final. To do that would be great for us.
“We have to keep switching in between targets and this is another important game for us. We have got to try and win. The more we keep doing that, the more we will put pressure on the other teams around us and get back into the top four.
“We have started scoring goals again and it is giving the players confidence to go forward. We have been defending well but it’s important for the team that we add goals to what we have been doing at the back.
“The signs have been good but we have got to continue and keep improving if we can. We have a duty to give the forward players service. It’s like Stevie. He has been breaking records recently and we hope he can keep playing unbelievable for himself and the team.”
As Skrtel won’t play until the middle of April and Daniel Agger’s participation is threatened by injury, Benitez is likely to ask Sotirios Kyrgiakos to assume the role he was filling with aplomb before his sending off in the Anfield derby on February 6.
“Soto started really well,” Benitez pointed out. “He couldn’t play too many games when he first arrived because Carra, Skrtel and Agger were all available. We brought him here because he was really good in the air and he showed that against Bolton.
“He is a fantastic professional and very good lad. He is always ready, keen to learn but I was surprised when he came in because I thought his English would be better, as he played in Scotland but he said to me ‘I couldn’t understand any words!’
“But I’m really pleased with him now and hopefully he can play more games.”
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