LIVERPOOL V CHELSEA: Not drinking to success but 2008 vintage better

Apr 22 2008 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

PAUSING for a moment inside the Anfield Press room, Rafael Benitez turned towards the photograph commemorating Liverpool’s Champions League success in Istanbul three years ago.

“A surprise, eh?” remarks the Spaniard. “I have seen this squad 20 times and I still wonder how we did it. The squad now is much better.”

With such luminaries as Josemi and Salif Diao beaming joyously back at the Liverpool manager, it’s not hard to sympathise with the faint incredulity in his words.

A quick glimpse through the list of squad members then and now tracks the evolution of Liverpool’s team under Benitez.

From Pepe Reina in goal, through Javier Mascherano in midfield and up to Fernando Torres in attack, the current Anfield vintage is far greater in terms of quality and depth to the one that triumphed in memorable fashion against AC Milan in 2005.

However, silverware is the barometer by which teams are judged. And for Liverpool to lift a sixth European Cup, they must first replicate the achievements of three years and 12 months ago by eliminating Chelsea in the semi-finals.

“At the end of the day the best team doesn’t always win,” says Benitez. “But you can see those photos and you can see this squad now is much better.

“Every year the squad is getting better. The spine of the team is stronger, we have some young players with quality. We are going in the right direction.

“We need something more for being real contenders in the Premier League but clearly we are much better every year.”

The rate of change within Liverpool and Chelsea, who meet tonight at Anfield in the first leg of their semi-final, is illustrated by the line-ups for the previous two meetings at this stage of the competition.

Only two players, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard, are expected to start tonight from those that took the field for Liverpool in the second leg at Anfield in 2005, in comparison to seven from Chelsea.

Even from last year’s tie, there are likely to be only five survivors from Benitez’s side while all but the suspended Michael Essien are poised to be selected by Avram Grant for Chelsea.

Should Liverpool ultimately lift the European Cup in Moscow on May 21, it would put Benitez alongside Vicente Del Bosque, Ottmar Hitzfeld and Carlo Ancelotti as the only managers to lift the trophy twice in the Champions League era.

And the Spaniard says: “All of them are fantastic managers. It is really important for everyone to win trophies and if you could win it twice it would be much better.

“I worked with Del Bosque for 10 years, I was his assistant coach in Madrid. I would be really pleased just to win but if you are close to these names it would be fantastic.

“As a manager you must be proud to be in the semi or final. But I am checking the names of Chelsea, not the names of past managers in the competition. I need to think about the future, enjoy the past as well, but keep winning.

“This is the most important competition in the world. In every country, the league is the most important. But the Champions League is more important overall. It is massive in terms of the media, the money around it.”

Asked if another a second Champions League win in four years would lead to greater recognition of his achievements, Benitez responds: “Here in England, maybe. But in Spain, I won two leagues. People forget that. People in Valencia don’t forget, I promise you.”

Given the chaos raging behind the scenes at Anfield at the moment, Benitez has cut a surprisingly relaxed figure during the past week.

Having joked with journalists after the weekend win at Fulham, the Liverpool manager was again in good humour as he addressed the media throng yesterday.

And Benitez reckons the off-field shenanigans may have even served to engender a stronger unity within the Liverpool squad, the evidence being a run of results that have seen just one defeat in 14 games.

“It could be,” he says. “But clearly the players are focused on football now and they know we can’t waste time talking about the other things, we need to concentrate and focus on the football.”

Benitez provided perhaps the most iconic image of the semi-final victory over Chelsea last year when, during the penalty shoot-out, television cameras caught him sat cross-legged on the touchline while giving a cursory glance to his wristwatch.

That supposed lack of emotion has in the past been used as a criticism, but the Spaniard insists it couldn’t be further from the truth.

“I enjoy it a lot when we win,” he says. “I like to win and prepare everything for winning, so when the job is done I enjoy it internally. I am really pleased but I don’t jump up and down. I’ve always been like this.

“The other day people were saying I wasn’t celebrating (against Arsenal) but I was talking with Sami because I was analysing the game. You don’t have much time to talk with the players, sometimes you are shouting and they don’t want to hear you, so you use this time to say something.

“When the players are celebrating with supporters, I am thinking about where to improve something.”

Should Liverpool take a significant step towards Moscow with victory this evening, Benitez won’t be one for cracking open a can – and not because the job would only be half done.

“I don’t drink wine and I don’t drink beer,” he says. “When I go to see other managers they always offer me a Rioja. I say ‘I don’t drink wine’ they say ‘but you are from Spain’ but I say ‘I know, but I don’t drink it!’

“I don’t like alcohol, so I don’t have any problems with it. I can drink it, but I don’t like to drink it.”

Benitez, though, admits to having taken a sip or two of champagne after that famous night in Istanbul.

“Normally I don’t like it too much,” he says. “I tell my wife not to waste money on it because she’d be wasting money on expensive bottles. But if it’s a special occasion, like Istanbul, you say ‘okay then’.”

No doubt the Liverpool manager would drink to a healthy first-leg lead tonight – and the chance for more photos to adorn the Anfield Press room.