Steve Finnan: We're ready for Chelsea

Aug 17 2007 by Paul Walker, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL’S exhausted players believe they will have recovered from their Champions League ordeal in the hot-house of Toulouse in time to face rivals Chelsea on Sunday.

The Anfield side returned from south west France after their 1-0 third qualifying round first-leg success in high spirits after surviving the intense heat of an afternoon kick-off.

Rafael Benitez questioned the start time afterwards – temperatures touched 35 degrees during the match – saying: “It was a very strange time to play a match as important as the Champions League.”

TV schedules in the UK and France, plus a full French league programme in the evening, dictated the kick-off time which left Liverpool’s players physically drained.

Their recovery time now will be the key ahead of Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Chelsea at Anfield.

But Benitez, defender Steve Finnan and new boy Ryan Babel all believe they can overcome the situation.

Finnan said: “It was one of the hottest games I have played in. There were some tired legs out there towards the end, it was a good workout for us.

“Yes, we will feel it over the next couple of days, but we are not playing until Sunday.

“That’s one more day than we usually get, so we will be fine by the time Chelsea comes around. They have played during midweek too, so there will be no excuses.”

And Finnan reckons the performance will give the club a further boost as they look to continue their good start to the season.

He said: “That was a really good result for us, especially considering they beat Lyon at home at the weekend.

“We got an away goal and a clean sheet, and that’s what we would have hoped for before the match.

“It puts us in a great position, but we cannot take anything for granted. We have still got to finish the job at Anfield.”

New signing Andriy Voronin claimed the only goal of the game with a fierce strike just before the interval at the Municipal Stadium.

Babel made his full debut and lasted the 90 minutes, saying afterwards: “We did well as a team to get a result like that in such conditions.

“It is not something I have experienced much in the past, maybe a couple of games in such temperatures, but not often.

“I was pleased with my first start for Liverpool.

“I have much to learn still but I know I can grow with this team and grow into it.

“It was good to get a full 90 minutes, that is what I need to be able to make an impression and learn how to play with these players.

“It was a good result, a 1-0 win away in Europe is always a boost. But it is not finished, Toulouse are a good side and maybe once we score at Anfield in the second leg, then it will be finished.”

Benitez was delighted with the victory and said: “The conditions were terrible, very, very hot and the pitch was so bad the ball didn’t run.

“It was also a strange time to play a Champions League match. It gives the players difficulties in their recovery time because of the heat.

“The job is not done, in football you must always be careful and we know they are good on the counter-attack.

“I think we will have enough time to recover for the Chelsea match on Sunday.

“But we must control the recuperation of the players. It does not help that it is Chelsea next. If we were playing another team maybe it would be easier for the players to cope.”

He added: “But against Chelsea you need everyone giving 100% of their ability all the time, so we must monitor the players.

“We will need a couple of training sessions to see how each one of them has recovered. Only then will I be able to decide who starts the match against Chelsea.”

Peter Crouch began the game on Wednesday having been omitted from the squad that travelled to Villa Park on the opening day of the season.

And while the England international admits he was devastated to be absent, he laughed off suggestions of a rift with Benitez.

“I was disappointed to miss out on Saturday, so it was good to play on Wednesday,” said Crouch. “The manager explained to me it will be a long season, and he proved what he meant by replacing the two who started on Saturday with myself and Andriy.

“I’m sure he will continue to chop and change, but everyone will play their fair share.

“Everyone knows players want to be playing every game, so when you are geared up all pre-season to play the first game against Aston Villa, of course you don’t want to miss out.

“Anyone who was in my position would feel the same. People would be more disappointed in me if I didn’t feel disappointed not to play. But what I will say is that whenever I’m called upon I’ll be ready, and I hope I proved that in France.

“I’ve got to prove to the manager on the training pitch and in the games when I get the chance that I should be in the team, but I’m not the type of person who goes off shouting, screaming and knocking down doors.

“I want to do my talking on the pitch.”