Rafa Benitez: Next five days will shape our season

Feb 16 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

RAFAEL BENITEZ admits the next five days will shape the remainder of Liverpool’s season – as he urged his team to make people start talking about football at Anfield again.

Benitez’s side begin a cup double header this afternoon when they entertain Coca-Cola Championship side Barnsley in the FA Cup fifth round.

They follow that with the first leg of their blockbusting Champions League first knockout round tie against Inter Milan on Tuesday evening.

While Liverpool have suffered from inconsistent form since the turn of the year, there have been reasons for optimism in recent weeks with the 3-0 win over Sunderland followed by a hugely encouraging goalless draw at Chelsea last Sunday.

But a wary Benitez believes the coming week will be a more accurate indicator of progress among his squad.

“We’ll know more in five days’ time whether we have turned a corner or not,” said the Anfield manager.

“The last two training sessions have been really good. We’ve been doing this with intensity and the players have been responding to the demands, but we’ll only know when we play the games against Barnsley and Inter Milan.

“We’re ready for these challenges. People are talking about Inter, but we’ve got Barnsley first and the FA Cup is an opportunity to bring some silverware to the club.

“The Champions League will be more difficult. But this is our chance in both competitions, and we will try to do it.”

There has been continued speculation in recent weeks that the Dubai-based DIC are prepared a bid to take control of Liverpool from American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

It has led to further rumours about Benitez’s long-term future at the club.

But the manager reckons the best way to halt the rumours and conjecture is for the team to begin doing the business on the pitch.

“The finance is important, but winning is the way to improve everything,” he added. “If you win games and progress in competitions such as the FA Cup and the Champions League, it makes the money situation better.

“I try to focus on the games, especially the next two because we could win these

competitions. This week I’ve not had any problems concentrating just on football.

“It would always be better if we didn’t have all this speculation, but the only way we can help that situation is by winning games. Then people will talk about goals and wins and things like that.

“If we start winning games, it will be easier for everyone. It comes down to the performance of the team. If you play well you can win games, people will talk about football, you will have more confidence, you can win more, and that will help the financial situation.

“It’s clear that in football, the main thing is winning games.”

Benitez will be without Daniel Agger (foot), Andriy Voronin (ankle) and Martin Skrtel (calf) while a fit-again Fernando Torres is being held back for next week’s Champions League game.

The Anfield manager must decide whether to risk Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio, although Sami Hyypia will return to partner Jamie Carragher at centre-back.

Charles Itandje replaces Pepe Reina in goal, but otherwise Benitez will choose from a strong squad with Xabi Alonso, Jermaine Pennant, Harry Kewell and Yossi Benayoun all pressing for a recall.

Meanwhile, Benitez has dismissed reports that Inter are preparing a summer bid for skipper Steven Gerrard.

“Clearly, because we are playing Inter Milan, these stories about Steven Gerrard have come out,” said the Spaniard. “But we know where the stories are coming from.

“The player has experience of this before. It won’t be a problem.”