Liverpool v Birmingham preview (KO 3pm, Anfield)

Sep 22 2007

THERE was one notable absentee from the procession of Premier League managers queuing up to pay tribute to Jose Mourinho yesterday.

While the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger offered their sympathies for the departure of the former Chelsea manager, Rafael Benitez declined a similar opportunity to compliment his Iberian rival.

Given the frosty relationship between the two, it would perhaps have been hypocritical for the Liverpool manager to praise his deposed counterpart.

Indeed, in twice defeating Chelsea at the semi-final stage of the Champions League in the past three seasons, it’s obvious Benitez has done more than most to ensure the rift between Mourinho and ambitious Stamford Bridge owner Roman Abramovich ultimately became irreconcilable.

But although admitting to being taken aback at the haste and timing of Mourinho’s exit, Benitez was more bothered about Birmingham City manager Steve Bruce when pressed on the matter yesterday afternoon.

“It was a surprise,” says Benitez. “I don’t want to say too much about it, but it’s clear it was a surprise.

“You know my relationship with him, it is better that I do not say anything. But Chelsea still has a good team with a lot of very good players.

“At the moment I am more worried about Steve Bruce. My main concern is getting my team playing well again and scoring goals like before.”

The friction between Benitez and Mourinho resurfaced last month when the Spaniard was known to be disappointed when former assistant Paco Ayestaran was ‘too friendly’ with the Chelsea manager after the clubs drew 1-1 at Anfield earlier this season.

That incident is believed to have been one of the reasons for the simmering tensions between Benitez and Ayestaran coming to a head, with the latter having now left the club.

What’s clear is the destabilising effect Mourinho leaving has had on Chelsea already is, at least in the short term, good news for Liverpool and fellow championship challengers Manchester United and Arsenal.

With United and Chelsea facing off at Old Trafford tomorrow, Benitez’s side have the chance to stretch further clear of at least one of their title rivals when they entertain Birmingham today.

Curiously, the Midlanders join United as the only Premier League team Liverpool have failed to beat during Benitez’s tenure.

Although thrashed 7-0 at St Andrews in the FA Cup last year, and defeated 1-0 in the Carling Cup, Birmingham can claim two wins and two draws in their four league meetings with Liverpool in the past three years.

Having stormed to the top of the Premier League in the opening weeks, the Anfield outfit have stuttered in the past week, held to a goalless draw at Portsmouth last week before escaping with a 1-1 result in Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Liverpool were uncharacteristically poor in Portugal, although Benitez believes he has seen signs in training that his players are determined to make amends for that performance.

We watched some things that the players had been doing positively before the Porto game, and we hope we can reinforce those positive things,” says the Liverpool manager.

“We had a lot of confidence going into the game, but we started slowly. One player made a mistake, and maybe it became contagious with all the other players.

“I was pleased with the result especially after playing 30 minutes with 10 players, but we started the game really badly. It’s something we’ve spoken about and I hope it won’t be the same in the future because you have to learn from these things.

“The team was training really well the day after. They were tired, but they trained well. Thursday and Friday it was difficult to control them as they were training with a high tempo, really fast. I’m pleased with their response. I don’t think it’s a question of finding the momentum again, two weeks ago we had scored 10 goals in two games. It’s just a matter of staying calm and taking things step by step.”

Benitez has intimated he’ll give Jermaine Pennant the opportunity to show he has learned from the mistake of his red card against Porto in midweek.

The winger is hopeful of retaining his place this afternoon against his former club, and Benitez adds: “What happened to him in midweek suggests he is trying too hard to prove to me he can be a hard-working member of the team.

I have spoken to him, and with the rest of the team. It is an experience that we must all learn from as a group.

“He was trying to show he is good enough, that he is working hard. Maybe he was talking too much to the referee. If you are experienced you know you must learn from mistakes and he will do that.

“I still have confidence in him, he is training well and you cannot criticise him for how he plays and how he works in every training session.

“You cannot kill a player because he made a mistake. Other players get yellow and red cards but you must look at why and make sure it does not happen again.

“I have talked with him and taken the positives. He can play against Birmingham, he is in the squad. And against his former club he will try also to show that he is good enough for this level, especially after this week. He must show he has control and then everything will be very positive.”