Oct 8 2009 by Dominic King, Liverpool Echo
RAFA BENITEZ today backed Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher to prove the doubters wrong – as Daniel Agger was at the centre of a new injury scare.
Both defenders have found their form called into question during the opening months of the season after Liverpool have conceded an unusually high amount of goals.
The only time the Reds have kept a clean sheet with them in the middle was in the 4-0 drubbing of Burnley in September, but Benitez is confident that is about to change.
He has taken heart from the pair’s battling efforts in the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea last Sunday and expects their normal miserly service to be resumed after the international break.
“If you analyse the performance of the centre- backs, it was clear to see they were much better and that was the positive thing to take from the game,” said Benitez.
“Skrtel is a really good player and ‘Carra’ was doing better again; maybe you could say something about the second goal but the signs, for me, were much better.
“It was a difficult game for the central defenders to play and you know that when you come up against the top sides you must keep it tight.
“We paid for one mistake (in midfield) but, in the main, I was very pleased with the performances of Skrtel and ‘Carra’ and they were doing the right things.”
Skrtel is currently away with Slovakia for their World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Poland and Agger is in Denmark ahead of the crucial Group One clash with Sweden.
Whether Agger plays, though, remains to be seen, as he was ordered to sit out training yesterday in Copenhagen by Denmark’s medical staff as a precaution.
The last thing Benitez wants from this latest gap in the fixture list is for any of his senior squad members to return from international duty with any fitness issues.
Liverpool have crucial games against Sunderland, Lyon and Manchester United coming up straight after the break and those eight days could define the campaign.
But while the stakes are going to be high, Benitez is expecting a positive response after the reverse at Stamford Bridge.
The Reds’ boss has taken encouragement from certain aspects of that performance.
“It was very difficult after the game as you know the time will be slow during an international break when you have lost,” said Benitez.
“We have got an important week coming up when the international players come back but I have taken positives.
“By the end we had control of the game and Chelsea were playing on the counterattack.
“We showed a lot of character in the last 20 minutes and that was a positive.”
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-fc/liverpool-fc-news/2009/10/08/new-injury-scare-for-daniel-agger-as-rafa-benitez-backs-liverpool-fc-defence-100252-24880023/2/
