Rafa Benitez shrugs off Liverpool crisis talk

Apr 21 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

UPBEAT Rafael Benitez insists he does not feel under any extra pressure as the civil war rages behind the scenes at Liverpool.

The Anfield outfit entertain Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tomorrow with the managers of both teams under intense scrutiny.

Fresh doubts have emerged over Benitez’s future following further revelations concerning Liverpool’s talks with Jurgen Klinsmann in November.

Chelsea manager Avram Grant’s position has also been the subject of speculation over recent months, culminating in a bizarre Press conference after his team’s win at Everton last Thursday.

Privately, Benitez has grown weary of the off-field uncertainty engendered by the breakdown in relations between co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

But, as he prepares for tomorrow’s semi-final, the Spaniard says his enjoyment and desire has not been diminished by the problems.

“It’s difficult to have a measure of the pressure on each manager,” said Benitez. “We’ve spoken about this in the past and people have said we were playing mind games (in previous semi-finals with Chelsea), stupid things like this. Everyone wants to win. I have my own pressure. I want to win every game. I will approach the game under pressure, but happy because we are in a semi-final.

“I like football. I know when we have some problems and are under pressure, I always think about people who are in a worse position than us in other walks of life. So I try to enjoy my profession.”

Most critics of Chelsea manager Grant believe Jose Mourinho should not have been sacked from Stamford Bridge during the opening months of the season.

But when asked if he missed Mourinho, Benitez responded: “You (the journalists) miss him. But not me. I have enough things to do in Liverpool now. “I don’t like talking about him. As a manager, I have a lot of respect for him because he’s doing his job.

“At the end of the day, the players will be the key more than the managers. I think that managers can talk before the game but, during the game, the players must be different. The managers are important for the press conferences to say something! Some games, yes, the managers are important. But the best thing for a manager to do is not create any mess so the players can just play.”

Benitez added: “I can’t see much difference between Chelsea this season and last. Maybe only in the press conferences!

“I was watching the game at Everton on Thursday and they were playing more or less the same. During the season, they have been playing well like they did.

“As I’ve said before, the key to them was Abramovich. In the past, I think they have built a fantastic team.

“Maybe they aren’t as united as they were under Mourinho. But they were in the final of the Carling Cup. They are in the semi-finals of the Champions League. They are in the race for the title. So they have enough good players to win.”

Unlike the previous two semi-finals with Chelsea, Liverpool must play the first leg at home.

But Benitez said: “I’m not worried playing at home first. Anfield is amazing and is the key for us, or was the key for us in the past.

“But I think that can be the same in the first game. So we know, if we can score goals and keep a clean sheet, it will be fantastic. It will be different, but we can manage.”

A much-changed Liverpool team move to the brink of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification with a 2-0 win at Fulham on Saturday.

Goals from Jermaine Pennant and Peter Crouch moved the Anfield outfit eight points clear of nearest rivals Everton with three games remaining.

Mindful of tomorrow’s game, Benitez courted controversy by making eight changes but said: “I think that every manager has to think about his own team. We have a very good team, a good squad and we showed today quality. We tried to do that before, and we will try to do it again in the future.

“It is clear the squad is stronger this year. I was saying this all season – this squad is better.”