Fuente : Liverpool F.C.
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/

LIVERPOOL FC: ZENDEN: FANS ARE YET TO SEE THE BEST OF ME

/noticias.info/ On the eve of the new Premiership season Bolo Zenden has vowed to improve the standard of his performances after confessing that Liverpool fans are yet to see the best of him.

As Rafael Benitez's first summer signing of 2005 prepares for his league debut at the home of former club Middlesbrough tomorrow he has given a candid assessment of his pre-season form and promised there's much more to come from him.

Ahead of his Riverside return he's acknowledged the fact that he's yet to show his true form in a Liverpool shirt but at the same time insists it's not something that is giving him too much cause for concern at this present time.

In an exclusive interview with Liverpoolfc.tv, he says: "As a team, I think we have been improving with each game but looking at my own form I would say there is much more to come from me in the coming season. I've been fairly pleased with how things have gone but with the hectic schedule of games it hasn't been easy.

"Also, the tempo is never as high during pre-season and it's only when the serious games begin that players really begin to find their true form. I've been disappointed not to have got on the scoresheet but I'm determined to put that right as soon as possible.

"I haven't set myself any particular goalscoring targets and I suppose it doesn't really matter who scores the goals so long as the team is winning but I'd love to be more prolific in front of goal once the season starts. You can't just rely on the strikers to score, I'm well aware of that and my aim is to chip in with a fair share of goals myself."

Zenden is relishing the prospect of making an early return to the stadium where he plied his trade successfully for the past two years and he's hoping his efforts in a Boro shirt will be remembered by the home fans.

"Obviously I am looking forward to going back," he adds. "I had two fantastic years there, one in which we won the club's first ever trophy and the next year we played in Europe, which was also a first for the club.

"I don't know what type of reaction I'll receive from the Middlesbrough fans but I hope it's a good one. As I've said, the club enjoyed two successful years during the time I was there and hopefully they appreciate the part I played in that. I gave them everything I had and feel I left with my head held high."

Liverpool's recent record at the Riverside is not one to boast about. Zenden was a scorer against his new club in a 2-0 Boro win in the corresponding fixture last season and he knows his former team-mates will make it tough once again for the European Cup holders.

"I'm not sure how they Boro players will have reacted when they heard the news that Liverpool will be their first opponents in the Premiership this season but I'm sure they'll be fired up for our visit. Confidence will be high at the Riverside because they've just enjoyed two of their best ever seasons and will be looking to build on that," he says.

"The visit of Liverpool is always a big one but even more so now that they are European Champions. Everyone will be going all out to try and beat us this season, Middlesbrough included, but equally we are determined to get off to a winning start. Three points on the first day is vital for both sides and I think we should be in for an exciting game."

But which players does Zenden think pose the biggest threat to Liverpool's aspirations of kicking off the new season with a win?

"Yakubu, one of their new signings, will certainly be one to watch," is his first answer. "He was tremendous at Portsmouth last season and I think Steve McClaren has pulled off a major coup in capturing his signature. He's a big powerful striker who knows where the goal is and he'll no doubt be looking to get off the mark on his debut.

"Then in defence there is Gareth Southgate. He is a great professional who controls things from the back. He's a hugely influential player who leads by example and I fully expect him to be one of Boro's key men again this season.

"Steve McClaren has assembled a really good bunch of players. Collectively they perform as an effective and compact team unit. It's by no means an easy fixture for us but we must to our best to go there and make life as difficult as possible for them.


"For me it is ironic that my new club is playing my old club on the opening day. I perhaps would have preferred for it to have been later in the season but I can"t wait for it now. I still have a lot of friends there and it"s certainly going to be a special occasion for me."

"Hopefully the fact that we have played more competitive games than them during the summer will give us the edge. The European games we have already played have been very important for us. It is good to have those type of games under our belts at this stage.

With everyone at Anfield dreaming of a firsttitle triumph in 16 years Zenden is aware of the importance of getting off to a good start and he's confident that Liverpool can mount a serious challenge this season.

"Everyone at this club knows that we must do better in the league than last season and three points on the opening day would set us up nicely to achieve our goal. We're all eagerly anticipating the big Premiership kick-off now. The European game in midweek means we haven't had too much time to think about it but we all can't wait to get started now.

"I'm definitely confident we can challenge for the Premiership title. With the quality of players we have at this club there is no reason whatsoever why we should not be up there. We are a very good team and the manager is very clear in what he wants from us.

"Chelsea are strong favourites to retain the title but I'm never a guy who throws in the towel and there is no way I would rule us out of the reckoning. Points-wise the gap between Liverpool and Chelsea last season was a massive one but we won't give up in our quest to make this gap as small as possible this season and if we continue to improve then you never know how far we can go" notas_de_prensa_archivo