Ask any observer to pinpoint a weakness in Liverpool’s squad, and it won’t take long before conversation gravitates around a familiar failing.
In Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, Rafael Benitez boasts perhaps the most devastating attack partnership in Europe.
But beyond the fearsome duo, the Spaniard does not appear to have the wealth of striking options available to many Premier League rivals.
However, in the past week Dirk Kuyt has posted a timely reminder of his natural predatory instincts.
With Gerrard operating in a deeper midfield role, Kuyt has filled the gap vacated by the skipper to good effect, following his goal in the 4-0 romp over Burnley last Saturday with the solitary strike that saw off Debrecen in Liverpool’s opening Champions League group game on Wednesday.
And when asked about possibly acting as cover for Torres or Gerrard, Kuyt says: “It could be important this season. When you speak of Torres and Gerrard, you’re talking the best players in our team.
“The likes of me, Yossi Benayoun, Albert Riera and those in front want to be as helpful as possible scoring goals as well. We’re doing that at the moment so it is very positive.
“I try to fill that role (Gerrard’s), fill in that position, and I’m delighted to have come up with goals on Wednesday night and at the weekend. But this team has lots of quality throughout.
“For me it isn’t important where I play, as long as it works for the team. Stevie played the last two in midfield and I was in behind Fernando, and I am enjoying my time there as much as I did on the right.
“I’m just glad I could be important this season with a few goals and assists. Hopefully I can do a bit more too.”
Kuyt now has 12 European Cup goals for the Anfield outfit, moving him alongside Terry McDermott in third place in the club’s all-time scoring list for the competition and behind only Ian Rush (14) and Gerrard (28).
It was enough to edge Benitez’s side past Debrecen, the unheralded Hungarians unable to capitalise on a misfiring Liverpool performance.
“Of course we wanted to win with a few goals, but the second didn’t come and in the end the most important thing is the win, especially with it being our first game,” says Kuyt.
“The second could have killed it off, but they defended very deep. We know we have to play better than this, and we will.
“I’m happy with the goal, especially in Europe, because we all know how special this competition is to us.”
While Kuyt has netted in successive games, Torres has raised some concern for a clutch of ineffective performances for both club and country in the past fortnight.
But Kuyt says: “We as players don’t talk about Fernando Torres not scoring. He’s a top striker, a quality player and it’s not always just about scoring the goals. Stevie said we have more who can come up with them now.
“We won 4-0 against Stoke and again on Wednesday and he didn’t score, but I can tell you in the next couple of games he will be there again, because he is the best in the world. There are no concerns whatsoever for me or the team.”
Liverpool made hard work of their midweek victory, but the three points puts them joint top of the early Group E standings ahead of the next game in Fiorentina, for whom star striker Alberto Gilardino is suspended after his red card in the 1-0 defeat at Lyon.
And Albert Riera says: “It was very important to win the first game though, especially for our confidence. We would have preferred to win comfortably but at least we won.
“The other teams know how we are playing and this sometimes makes things difficult, but we were trying to find space in the middle and trying to play really good football when perhaps we should have played more long balls because they were not going to let us play the kind of football what we wanted to. But we like to play good football at home and we will play better than this.
“We have had a strange start to the season but we are going better now and our confidence is improving.”
Riera has started Liverpool’s last two games after admitting to a flare-up with Benitez over his lack of first-team opportunities during the opening weeks of the season.
But the Spanish winger adds: “I have already said that if the season starts and a player is not playing but he is still happy that this is not right. All the players want to play and I am the same.
“If the day comes when I am happy to sit on the bench then I would prefer to retire because I always want to play.
“You need to have respect for your team-mates though, because if I am playing it means someone else won’t be, but I feel that I can give something to this team and that is why I want to play.
“I played a lot of games last season and I hope it is the same this time.”
In Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, Rafael Benitez boasts perhaps the most devastating attack partnership in Europe.
But beyond the fearsome duo, the Spaniard does not appear to have the wealth of striking options available to many Premier League rivals.
However, in the past week Dirk Kuyt has posted a timely reminder of his natural predatory instincts.
With Gerrard operating in a deeper midfield role, Kuyt has filled the gap vacated by the skipper to good effect, following his goal in the 4-0 romp over Burnley last Saturday with the solitary strike that saw off Debrecen in Liverpool’s opening Champions League group game on Wednesday.
And when asked about possibly acting as cover for Torres or Gerrard, Kuyt says: “It could be important this season. When you speak of Torres and Gerrard, you’re talking the best players in our team.
“The likes of me, Yossi Benayoun, Albert Riera and those in front want to be as helpful as possible scoring goals as well. We’re doing that at the moment so it is very positive.
“I try to fill that role (Gerrard’s), fill in that position, and I’m delighted to have come up with goals on Wednesday night and at the weekend. But this team has lots of quality throughout.
“For me it isn’t important where I play, as long as it works for the team. Stevie played the last two in midfield and I was in behind Fernando, and I am enjoying my time there as much as I did on the right.
“I’m just glad I could be important this season with a few goals and assists. Hopefully I can do a bit more too.”
Kuyt now has 12 European Cup goals for the Anfield outfit, moving him alongside Terry McDermott in third place in the club’s all-time scoring list for the competition and behind only Ian Rush (14) and Gerrard (28).
It was enough to edge Benitez’s side past Debrecen, the unheralded Hungarians unable to capitalise on a misfiring Liverpool performance.
“Of course we wanted to win with a few goals, but the second didn’t come and in the end the most important thing is the win, especially with it being our first game,” says Kuyt.
“The second could have killed it off, but they defended very deep. We know we have to play better than this, and we will.
“I’m happy with the goal, especially in Europe, because we all know how special this competition is to us.”
While Kuyt has netted in successive games, Torres has raised some concern for a clutch of ineffective performances for both club and country in the past fortnight.
But Kuyt says: “We as players don’t talk about Fernando Torres not scoring. He’s a top striker, a quality player and it’s not always just about scoring the goals. Stevie said we have more who can come up with them now.
“We won 4-0 against Stoke and again on Wednesday and he didn’t score, but I can tell you in the next couple of games he will be there again, because he is the best in the world. There are no concerns whatsoever for me or the team.”
Liverpool made hard work of their midweek victory, but the three points puts them joint top of the early Group E standings ahead of the next game in Fiorentina, for whom star striker Alberto Gilardino is suspended after his red card in the 1-0 defeat at Lyon.
And Albert Riera says: “It was very important to win the first game though, especially for our confidence. We would have preferred to win comfortably but at least we won.
“The other teams know how we are playing and this sometimes makes things difficult, but we were trying to find space in the middle and trying to play really good football when perhaps we should have played more long balls because they were not going to let us play the kind of football what we wanted to. But we like to play good football at home and we will play better than this.
“We have had a strange start to the season but we are going better now and our confidence is improving.”
Riera has started Liverpool’s last two games after admitting to a flare-up with Benitez over his lack of first-team opportunities during the opening weeks of the season.
But the Spanish winger adds: “I have already said that if the season starts and a player is not playing but he is still happy that this is not right. All the players want to play and I am the same.
“If the day comes when I am happy to sit on the bench then I would prefer to retire because I always want to play.
“You need to have respect for your team-mates though, because if I am playing it means someone else won’t be, but I feel that I can give something to this team and that is why I want to play.
“I played a lot of games last season and I hope it is the same this time.”
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