In-form Pepe Reina providing platform for Liverpool

Oct 2 2007 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL prepare for a return to Champions League action tomorrow knowing that goalkeeper Pepe Reina is in the form of his life.

The Spanish international achieved his fifth clean sheet of the season in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Wigan – equalling a 30-year-old club record for the best defensive start to the season.

Liverpool, unbeaten this season in all competitions, need to build on their fortunate 1-1 draw at Porto last month to put themselves on track for qualification from the group stages, with Benitez believing 10 points should do it.

And with Reina in such fine form, Liverpool can approach the clash with the French side with confidence.

The Spanish stopper has yet to concede a goal from open play this season and, in keeping a clean sheet at the JJB Stadium on Saturday, Liverpool equalled their record set in 1977.

Reina said: “We are very proud of that record, but we all defend together so it’s everyone’s record. We have only conceded from penalties so far, which is important. It is something we can be proud of but we must keep working in that way.

“The defence has changed a lot as well as the other departments of the team.

“Steve Finnan and Arbeloa have played on the right, Riise, Arbeloa and Aurelio on the left, with Daniel Agger and Sami Hyypia in the centre,” he added.

“All of the players in our squad are good enough to play the same level and that’s important for us.”

He added: “We know that to win the most important thing is to keep clean sheets. Then we have possibilities to

score with the quality of players we have here.

“To win away in these type of games permits you to fight for the title and be real contenders. But our mentality is to win game after game, not think about the target of the title. But, of course, it’s there in our minds.

“Our mentality should be to go week by week and win every game,” he added.

Meanwhile, former Liverpool defender Markus Babbel has admitted that the prospect of returning to Anfield as the club’s manager in the future would be a dream come true.

The 35-year-old is currently assistant coach of VFB Stuttgart, who are also competing in the Champions League having won the Bundesliga last season. He said: “I would like to manage a club in Britain one day. I love the British style of football and especially the passion of the fans at big clubs like Liverpool.

“Of course, it would be a dream to go back to Anfield as manager, but there’s a lot of hard work to be done before that can happen.”

Babbel also revealed that despite contracting Guillain-Barré syndrome, his time at Anfield was the most enjoyable of his career.

He said: “It was the best time in my life.

“I played for one of the biggest clubs in Europe alongside players like Gary (McAllister), who’s a legend for me because he’s such a great character and leader.

“We won five trophies together. That was a fantastic time.

“The only sadness for me was that I became ill after that and never came back as before. I was a little unlucky but this one season will always be in my head.”

LIVERPOOL and England striker Peter Crouch will be signing copies of his autobiography ‘Walking Tall’ at Waterstones in Bold Street, Liverpool, on Thursday October 4 at 4:30pm.