Benitez confident of fourth place
Liverpool manager, Rafa Benitez, says that now he has all of his key players fit, he hopes this will be enough for the club to secure fourth place.
Liverpool have fallen way off the pace this year because of some poor football and some very bad results. The side have missed key players for long stretches and now Benitez has everyone fit, he thinks his side could be too strong.
However, Spurs and Manchester City are leading the way for the fourth place spot, which leads to Champions League football. Liverpool are relying on them slipping up in order for the Reds to be able to claw back the gap.
Rafa said: “If they can stay fit I think it will be very important because you have more options. When you have two games a week it is important to have different players available so you can change the system and you can keep the tempo. It is really important to have Fernando, Gerrard and Maxi available.”
“I can see Fernando is focused and he wants to do well. We are surprised sometimes by what he can do but my idea is that he can improve. He knows how to get better. Two goals and a great performance again against Sunderland is what the team needed.”
“Johnson is an attacking defender and sometimes when you have the team playing well at home and everyone is going forward he can be a real threat. He had one or two chances against Sunderland and he was very dangerous down the right side. At this moment we have to concentrate on what we can change now – to play well on the pitch and try to be as close as possible to the top four and progress in the Europa League and the other things will come.”
“I think it depends on us. If we keep winning our games – there are difficult games – we will be closer and every week will be different. Sunday at Birmingham will be tough but if we can win our games I think they [Tottenham, City and Villa] will lose some points and I think we can be there.”
Liverpool will have to finish fourth because they have a number of players in their squad who have quality, which demands European competition. The risk is that if they don’t secure this, these players could walk away from the club.
This will put Liverpool back another step and another until they start to become a mediocre midtable Premier League side. However, with everyone fit they have a very good chance of winning the Europa League, which would mean European football of some description next season at least.
The side cannot fall into the trap of overly relying on Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard all over again. It was this reliance, which meant they slipped way off the pace in the first place. It is also this sort of reliance, which threatens to tear Manchester United’s season apart with the new injury to Wayne Rooney.




Liverpool fans are widely known for their loyalty and support for whoever operates the Anfield hot seat. It’s a characteristic which influenced an added a season or two onto Gerard Houllier’s reign before he was ushered out The Shankly Gates in the summer of 2004.
Liverpool manager, Rafa Benitez, has said he is satisfied regardless of Liverpool’s win in their opening Champions League match against Debrecen. 


