Article: Pennant: Everyone is on their toes

PENNANT: EVERYONE IS ON THEIR TOES

Jermaine Pennant admits the arrival of several new faces has got the entire first-team squad on its toes as everyone tries to secure a first-team place.

The winger says training is '100mph' at the moment, with each of his teammates trying to catch Rafa Benitez's eye.
 
"The manager said in a meeting with us that he wants the players proving in training every day that they are fighting for their positions, because doing that will only make you a better player," said Pennant, who played 52 games in his debut season for the Reds.
 
"That boosts the team and obviously then you tend to win more things.

"Training at Liverpool is always fast, physical and 100mph, with everyone up for it. You have to do that if you want to play, because it really, really counts. If you don't pull your weight in training then you know your place might go.
 
"No disrespect to Birmingham, because they're a great team with a great manager which is why they're back in the Premier League, but you are talking of Liverpool here.
 
"The history of this club and how big it is means you can't let your standards slip for one minute."
 
Pennant was one of the Reds' stand-out performers during the second half of last season and is determined to keep the fans on side when the new campaign kicks off in August.
 
He said: "The fans ask for massive things and if you are not delivering week-in, week-out, or not doing your best, they will get on your back – and rightly so because this is Liverpool, it's a massive club.
 
"I think that in the second half of the season I had them on my side, and the manager and my teammates were pleased as well.
 
"I showed better form and hope that will continue to get better at the start of this one.
 
"I am used to what the players and manager expect and feel totally settled in. Hopefully I can carry on from where I left off and get even better."
 
The 24-year-old admits he owes a debt of gratitude to Benitez, who kept faith following an up and down start after his move from Birmingham last summer.
 
Pennant said: "All I can do is my best. Maybe the fans expected better things more quickly, but it was always going to take time. Moving to Liverpool was a new start at a massive club, so it was going to take a bit of time. But I stuck at it and the manager and other players showed a lot of faith in me.
 
"The manager pulled me in and told me what I was doing right and wrong, but told me to keep going because it would come. Never once did he say he wasn't sure about me. He was always 100 per cent behind me and that is why I came through it."
 
The former Arsenal man believes his time at Anfield has coincided with a new maturity both on and off the pitch.
 
"Getting signed for Liverpool in the first place was obviously the major thing, because you don't go there if you have problems or other things going on.
 
"The manager goes through your whole situation and checks out everything about you, so he knows the lot before you even sign.
 
"I think my efficiency is where I have improved, as well as the end product. There's no point having all the pace, skill and flair if you don't get that because then it all goes to waste. If you can end it with a great final ball, then you can be classed as a good player."

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N156505070726-1101.htm

Positive words from a player who I had down as a bit of a slacker.  Hope he has a substantially better second season with us.  For large parts of the season I expected him to face the summer cull.

Let's face it he played really well towards the end of the season, hopefully this bows well for the coming season, especially now he's had time to settle in, I think Pennant will be a star next season.

hes a good player Pennant. I dont think many people have given him much of a chance so this year will be interesting to see how he gets on

If he keeps improving then IMO then we got our right side sorted ,but I wonder if Rafa will just use Pennant as rotation player and swap and change our wingers,against S.China he seemed to give us the width we were looking for,OK no disrespect to S.China but not a Premiership side

It's good to see a player having that kind of comment although on: He said: "The fans ask for massive things and if you are not delivering week-in, week-out, or not doing your best, they will get on your back – and rightly so because this is Liverpool, it's a massive club. ...is not really true..

There is no doubt that when he is on fire, he is a very good winger. I really hope that he'll be more consistent this year, managing to dribble his immediate opponent and delivering a good cross has to be on top of his list. He needs to be more aggressive, in the second part of the season he did so and definately was trying harder. I understand when he said that coming at Liverpool was a massive new start for him, that he needed time to adapt. He won't have that luxuary this year and it seems that he knows it, having Babel and Benayoun in the squad will make things much more difficult for him but he seems to be at his best when his place is under pressure so it's looking good I say.

He came good towards the end of last season hopefully he can continue his good form if not he will be dropped simple as that,niceto see he is aware that he wont walk straight into the side this should improve his game.

Players should be on their toes all the time if we want to bring home the league title, especially in pre-season, it shouldn't take the risk of losing your place in teh team to get you on your toes.

He has looked better in recent months,but his finally delivery is still letting him down,Crouch and Torres in particular need good service.In fact all our strikers need it.Kewell also has this problem,the final ball always lets him down.

I disagree Redman. Toward the end of last season, and all through pre season, Pennant's final ball has been exceptionally good. I've watched the two last games live, and he looked one of the better players on the pitch and created a lot of openings.

The thing with Pennant I think, is he's a confidence player. When things go right and he gets a good run of form going, he's brilliant and takes it past people, beats defenders and puts great crosses in. The trouble is, his mentality is such that when things go against us, and the other team get lucky or we're not playing that well, he drops his game dramatically and starts to lose possession and skew crosses all over the place. Hopefully he's maturing on and off the pitch and can develop his mentality so he consistently performs for us.

He was very inconsistent take the champions league final-he had the beating of Maldini,but the final ball always let him down,i admit he has improved,but theres still much work to do,hopefully the increased competition for places will help.

It was no secret that he started to play well at the end of the season, but I think that was to do with better central midfield pairings.  I think when Sossoko constantly loses the ball in the middle it doesn’t give players of Pennants style the confidence to attack.  And they are reluctant to make runs and are concentrating on trying to keep the ball and not be caught out of position. Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard in the middle, gives confidence to do what he is good at which is to run up the flanks, and use the full width of the pitch.  I’m not having a pop at Sossoko as I think he will improve this massive weakness.

Jermaine Pennant what a guy
His first full season at Anfield completed and I gotta say he's done a hell of a lot more than I expected.
It's fair to say he's been around the clubs now and the thought of him settling into that regular right wing role so well was far beyond what I expected.

Ok so maybe he gets a little violent now and again but who'd have thought he'd be played as much as he has with the quality of midfielders we have had last season.  Also what about that goal against Chelsea f me that was a cracker.  I'll have to disagree with those who say he's not been that impressive recently it's been most of last season where have you been?

I can remember watching only 3 major "good ball players" from last season in no particular order: Pennant, Gerrard and Finnan everyone else seemed to have an near equal share.

If we have another season like that, get the away games sorted early on and maximize our scoring options we should have a bloody good chance at last.

AJ