LFC FAN: Rafa Benitez does Bill Shankly justice

Jan 5 2009 Paul Gilhooly Liverpool Daily Post

THIS was a comfortable and largely satisfying win for Liverpool.

In front of the Bill Shankly Kop and the watching Sir Tom Finney, Rafael Benitez illustrated just how much he has learnt in the last four years.

In the FA Cup third round in 2005 Liverpool were also drawn away to a Lancashire side from the Championship.

That night he played a team largely drawn from the reserves and, courtesy of Djimi Traore’s unique take on the Cruyff turn, they were ignominiously knocked out of the tournament.

Four years later Benitez honoured the tournament and occasion by selecting essentially his strongest side with the only obvious rotation being the goalkeeper position and a deserved break for the workhorse Kuyt.

Liverpool delivered a first half performance of real quality marred only by some poor finishing which ensured the game was still competitive at the break.

In the second half Preston raised their game but Liverpool remained fairly comfortable.

The only discordant note being the injury to Xabi Alonso which saw him withdrawn at half time.