RAFA: TALKS WITH CHAIRMEN WERE VERY POSITIVE
Paul Eaton 18 December 2007
In our latest chat with Rafael Benitez at Melwood the Liverpool boss looks back on our defeat to United, he talks about his meeting with George Gillett and Tom Hicks and previews the Carling Cup clash at Chelsea.
Liverpoolfc.tv: What are your thoughts now when you look back on the Manchester United defeat?
Rafael Benitez: We are really disappointed. You know against United you are not always going to be able to play fantastic football but we had control of the game, we had more chances than them and so to concede a goal in a way we wouldn't normally concede is disappointing.
What was the difference between the two sides on the day?
Sometimes it just comes down to luck. If you remember, we had chances in the first half for Kewell, Torres and Kuyt while they had just the one at the end of the half. In the second half they had just the one chance because we were attacking. In the end, in my opinion, it came down to luck.
For a side with such a good defensive record it was a poor goal for you to concede...
We don't concede many goals from set pieces but on this occasion we made two or three mistakes. Too many things went wrong at the same time, our players were blocked and we had a man left on the line when the ball came in. In the end the ball went in and that was disappointing.
We had a lot of the ball in the second half without creating too many chances - how disappointing was that?
When you play against United you know it is going to be difficult because of the quality of their players and the game can often come down to small details. That's what happened again.
That's two league defeats in a row now after a long unbeaten run - how important is it go get back to winning ways as soon as possible?
Clearly it's important but we have confidence and we know we are going into a crucial stage of the season. We have a lot of games in a short space of time and so we have to keep the players with the same mentality and look to play as well as we can.
Is it worrying to look at the league table and see that we're ten points behind the leaders?
It's not the best situation but we prefer just to think about each game. If you look at the table every week and are at the top then it's fantastic but if you're not as close as you'd want then why worry about something you cannot change at this moment? We're trying to be focused on every game and on winning every game.
Some people have said you're out of the title race now - what's your reaction to that?
It's too early for me. We have one game in hand so the situation can improve and we're about to play four league games in a short time over Christmas. Let's just keep the confidence of the players high and see what the situation is at the end of the next month.
What can you tell us about what was said in your meeting with the club's chairmen after the United game?
We needed to clarify the situation and it was a very positive meeting. The conversation was very fluid because we were face to face, whereas it's more difficult over the phone or by email. It was very positive.
You said before the meeting that you wanted to clear up the misunderstanding - was that achieved?
Yes, I think so. My English isn't always the best but having the chance to talk to them slowly and with time allowed us to analyse the small problems and now we can move forward.
And we move forward to a Carling Cup quarter final with Chelsea...
It's a difficult game because we know Chelsea are a good team. We also have Portsmouth at the weekend so it will be a difficult week for us. Hopefully we can perform and get the right results.
Chelsea had a setback at the weekend as well...
Yes, they're like us and looking to get closer to the top of the table but this is a Cup game with a semi-final place at stake.
This may only be the Carling Cup - but games against Chelsea are always special aren't they?
Yes because we have played a lot of games against Chelsea over the last three or four years and so we know they are a top side. These games are very special and we seem to have a good record against them in cup competitions especially. This is another game and another competition but we know if we play well then we can beat anyone.
Why have we not done so well at Stamford Bridge over recent years though?
If you analyse their home form you can see they haven't lost for a long time so it's normal not to get too many good results there. They are really good in front of their own fans but we will try to change the situation.
Are they a different side since the appointment of Avram Grant as manager?
He is doing a good job. I remember when he arrived and people were saying he won't be around for too long. They are more or less the same side, they're very strong and create chances while not conceding too many.
Do you expect to face a strong Chelsea side tomorrow night?
I think they will rest some players because that's normal. They will use their squad but their squad is good so it will still be a good side.
And what are your thoughts in terms of team selection ahead of this match?
The key is to find the balance between the squad and the big names. It's not possible for players to play every game and with us having an important game against Portsmouth at the weekend the key will be to find the balance.
How much of a boost would it be if you could reach the semi-final?
We are here to win trophies and so we want to get into the semi-final. We will fight until the last minute to be there
Rafa sounds in quite a positive mood after his meeting with the Yanks, maybe they are learning the Liverpool way of doing things
Everton in the semi's ?
