Rafa Benitez admits: I sometimes make mistakes

Oct 5 2007 By Ian Doyle

IT was a rare admission from the famously stubborn Spaniard. Condemned for his decision to rest Fernando Torres against Birmingham City a fortnight ago, Rafael Benitez stated: “Sometimes I will make mistakes.”

But while the Liverpool manager went on to insist he was right to bench Torres for that goalless draw, Wednesday’s Champions League defeat against Marseille is perhaps one time for Benitez to concede he got it wrong.

Once again, the Spaniard’s love of rotation is at the crux of the critiques, a much-altered side producing what the manager regards as his team’s worst performance at Anfield since his arrival more than three years ago.

Given the success such a policy has helped achieve both at Valencia and Liverpool, there shouldn’t be any calls for Benitez to change those ways on the strength of one setback, no matter how damaging it may ultimately prove to be.

Instead, where the Anfield manager blundered was in underestimating Marseille by overestimating the effectiveness of some of his squad players.

Jamie Carragher yesterday leapt to the defence of the embattled Benitez claiming his selection policy wasn’t to blame for the defeat. After all, with the centre-back joining Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypia, Pepe Reina, Steve Finnan and Fernando Torres in the starting line-up, a strong spine was present.

But rotate something too many times and it will often lose its balance, a lesson Benitez seemingly has yet to learn.

Resting integral figures such as Javier Mascherano, Alvaro Arbeloa and Dirk Kuyt in favour of the likes of young Sebastian Leto, the recovering Fabio Aurelio, an unhappy Peter Crouch and a worryingly out-of-sorts Momo Sissoko was misplaced faith in players who aren’t yet ready or perhaps no longer suitable for such a high-profile fixture.

Benitez might contend he was let down by some players, but the bottom line is that he picked them.

Maybe Liverpool’s squad isn’t quite as strong as first thought. That said, only Benitez knows why Mascherano and Ryan Babel remained on the bench as his team floundered on Wednesday.

The defeat was Liverpool’s first of the season, but that statistic is deceptive; only Derby County, Wigan Athletic and an under-strength Reading have been beaten since qualification for the group stages of the Champions League was assured in August.

Wednesday’s defeat followed a poor opening Group A performance in the 1-1 draw in Porto and means Liverpool now look to Istanbul to kick-start another European fightback.

It was, of course, in the Turkish capital where Benitez’s side came back from 3-0 down to beat AC Milan and claim a fifth European Cup two years ago.

Matters aren’t quite as drastic yet, but anything other than victory against Besiktas in their antiquated Inonu Stadium on October 24 would shove Liverpool nearer a drop into the UEFA Cup.

I don’t know why we have started slowly in the Champions League,” says Carragher. “We have done all right in the Carling Cup and we are doing okay in the league as well, so it’s difficult to put your finger on it.

“But we haven’t done so well in recent games and we only sneaked a result at Wigan at the weekend. This time, it’s gone the other way.”

Responding to criticism of Wednesday’s much-changed line-up, Carragher says: “We can’t use that as an excuse. The manager’s done it for three years now and we’ve always done well in the Champions League and been in finals at the end of the season.

“But it’s difficult to say what did go wrong. We never played as well as we can and they played very well.”

The absence of Xabi Alonso is being felt more keenly than might have been expected. The Spaniard is the one midfielder who can put his foot on the ball and bring composure to Liverpool’s play, the heartbeat that dictates

Without Alonso, and with Steven Gerrard not yet back to his best following his broken toe, Benitez’s side have lacked direction, particularly in the Champions League.

All these different strands have contributed to a downturn in Liverpool’s performance, of which the Anfield outfit will no doubt hope Wednesday’s shocking display was the nadir. Certainly, they cannot afford any repeat.

Marseille probably deserved it to be honest,” says Carragher of the Stade Velodrome team’s win, the first French team to ever win at Anfield. “Sometimes teams that you don’t know so much about, those that aren’t the really big teams, can surprise you and Marseille had some pretty tasty players.

“It’s obviously disappointing because you have got to win your home games. It puts a bit of pressure on us, but we have got to deal with it now.

“We just never got started, didn’t perform on the night and we have to hold our hands up about that.

“We did the best we could, but Marseille put in a very good performance and sometimes you have credit the opposition, which we will do.”

Carragher adds: “We have to be confident that we can still qualify because we have a big, strong squad and the players have proved in recent seasons that we are very good in this competition.

“It is going to be difficult for us, but it is up to us to show the character and the quality to go through.

“If it goes down to the final game in Marseille, then it won’t be easy for us, but we have done well in recent years, so it won’t be easy for Marseille either.

“We’ve been in this position before and we have put ourselves in this position again. It’s more difficult than we would have wanted, but we have good experiences and good times in the past.

“Yes, we have made it tough for ourselves, but hopefully the next four games will be enough for us.”