Work ethic the secret of success

May 23 2007 by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo

THE small, stiflingly hot media room inside Athens' spectacular Olympic Stadium was jammed to capacity.

It contained 650 journalists, 170 photographers, several UEFA officials, two Liverpool players and their manager.

But the talk centred largely around one man – Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite – or Kaka, as he is known around the world – the Brazilian genius who can unpick defences with the deftness of a city centre pick-pocket. He’s the artist who tore Manchester United's Champions League aspirations to pieces, and the midfield maverick who is top scorer in this season's competition with 10 goals.

But Rafa Benitez was almost dismissive in his dissection of Liverpool's plans to blunt the Brazilian.

"Will we man mark him? No," he declared. " We know Kaka is a very good player but our system is to mark zonally and we will try to do the same. We control the space, not the players."

It was a telling example of Benitez's entire footballing philosophy. Stop the other team's best players from finding the space to display their talents, and you are halfway to nirvana.

It is a message which has clearly been drilled into his players, too.

"If you stop Kaka, do you stop Milan?" John Arne Riise was asked.

Again the answer came in the negative.

"He's the top scorer in the Champions League and he's one of the best players in the world, but Milan have lots of great players. It's not just all about Kaka," he responded.

"Our team is stronger and more experienced than two years ago. We didn't know what we were going into in Istanbul, but we will be bringing more experience to this year's final. We have a bigger squad, a stronger squad and better players."

Jermaine Pennant could be considered one of those better players.

One of the eight in Liverpool's 22 man squad not present in Istanbul, he sat to Riise's left looking for all the world like a little boy who had just been handed the keys to Willie Wonka's chocolate factory.

"Any type of involvement in a Champions League final would be brilliant for me," he enthused. "I am so looking forward to being involved.

"Hopefully, it will be a great day, a great night for the club, the fans and myself.

"In the first part of the season I had to find my feet, but in the second part I think I have settled, got used to the tactics the boss wants and hopefully next season I can really kick into gear.

"We don't know the team yet so I just hope I am involved."

The declaration of Bolo Zenden's fitness could well work in Pennant's favour.

Benitez would have been unlikely to select two out and out wingers, with Harry Kewell and Mark Gonzalez jostling for a left flank slot.

But his chances were improved when the more defensively minded Dutch midfielder joined in last night's final training session.

If selected, that would see Riise revert to his more familiar left-back role, and there were some light-hearted exchanges on the podium between the Norwegian and his manager.

"What qualities does John Arne Riise have?" a Scandinavian journalist enquired?

Riise looked on quizzically, as his manager responded: "Well, he is very consistent, which is important. Good players play at a good level all the time which you need to build for a good team. He can also play as a winger or a full-back, so he gives us different options.

"But I think he can improve. He is not bad, but he can improve . . . at what? Everything!

"We have some key players . . . like Riise and Pennant, and people always talk about Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher. They are really good players but we have a really good squad. The key is team spirit more than individual players.

"We will do a good job and enjoy it. We will try to do the right things.

“The things we were doing before we came here. If we do the right things and we win it will be perfect. If we can't, we must leave the pitch and say we have done our best."

Once again, the emphasis was on teamwork, team spirit and togetherness, the qualities which have carried Liverpool past teams arguably better equipped than themselves for greatness.

Last season's winners, Barcelona, were beaten in the first knockout stage. So, too, were Jose Mourinho's Chelsea. Again.

So it seemed a logical question to ask Benitez "Other teams in England cannot match your record in Europe. What is the secret of your success?"

As ever, the answer was disarmingly straightforward.

"Good players, good staff, good workers. Everyone works hard."

Benitez missed out one other integral component.

The most tactically astute manager in European football.

Last night, in front of the cameras, the blazing arc lights and the frenzied questioning, he was cool, calm and composed.

He will be the same in the Olympic Stadium dug-out tonight. But underneath the composed exterior, his brain will be frantically but purposefully calculating possibilities.

They are the possibilities which could make Liverpool Kings of Europe once again tonight.