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LIVERPOOL FC: RAFA ON TORRES, OWEN, AND HOME FORM

Rafa Benitez takes five minutes out of his pre-match preparations to chat to Liverpoolfc.tv ahead of the Premier League clash with Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United.

/noticias.info/ You overtook Everton in the race for fourth place after the 4-0 win over West Ham. Is it all in your hands now Rafa?

I think so. It was really important to win the game in hand against West Ham. It will be easier for us if we can keep the team winning so it all depends on us.

Everyone is talking about Fernando Torres after his two successive Anfield hat-tricks. I know the team always comes first for you but you must be delighted with Fernando...

He is a player that works hard for the team and also scores goals. It is really important if you have a striker that can do these things. Torres is doing a really good job.

People are now saying they couldn't imagine a Liverpool team without him now...

All the key players are important but at the end of the day the team and the club is more important than any individual.

How much does recognition does he deserve for winning the Barclays Player of the Month?

I think that he deserves everything he gets because he is playing really well. His commitment is fantastic, not just in the games but in every training session as well. I think we have a very good group of professionals here and he is a good example for the kids and the young players.

He's already got 24 goals but do you think he can score 30 goals this season?

I'd like to see him scoring 30 or maybe even more. Defenders know he is a threat so they will try and make it more difficult for him, but that is the reason why we need to play well as a team. If Babel can score goals and Gerrard, Kuyt and Crouch as well, then it will be easier for him to be in good positions to score more goals.

Is there still parts of his game he can still develop or would you call him the perfect striker?

You can't find the perfect manager so I don't think you can find the perfect striker! All of us can improve. Fernando is really good but he knows he can improve.

When Kevin Keegan took over at Newcastle did you think they would be in a better position in the league than what they are?

When you talk about Newcastle you know they have players with quality and experience. They are a good team and it is always difficult to play against them. Kevin is a good manager and I wish them all the best after this game on Saturday.

Where do you think it has gone wrong for them?

When you are not winning games expectations are really high and with that comes pressure. They are a big club who play at a big stadium with fantastic supporters. At the start of the season everybody was expecting them to be close to the top of the table, but as soon as you start losing some games then people get nervous and the players start playing with anxiety.

Does that make this weekend's game more difficult for you because they are under so much pressure?

Yes because when you play against a bad team then you know you will win the game. But when you play against a good team with good players and a good manager like Newcastle have, then you know it will be a difficult game.

Michael Owen is back at Anfield and even though he's struggled this season he can still be a big threat can't he...

Michael is a great finisher and always when you play against him you need to be wary because he can score goals at any time, especially close to the box. He is a fantastic player so we must talk with the centre backs, but that won't be a problem because I think Carra knows him a little bit!

Kevin Keegan has a strong affinity with this club as well. Do you remember him as a player?

I remember him playing for SV Hamburg against Real Madrid. In the first game he was marked out of the match by Garcia but in the second game he was fantastic. He was a really good player and I think he is a good manager as well.

Your home form is beginning to get back to what it should be. Do you see this game as a really good opportunity to nail down your credentials for a top four finish?

Yes, clearly we are playing well. We have won some games in a row and the team is playing with more confidence. If we can keep the momentum going it will be fantastic for this game and then we approach the Champions League game in Milan with a lot of confidence.

Dirk Kuyt is now playing on the right hand side for you Rafa. What does he give you that some others don't?

First of all his work rate is fantastic. He can also get into the box and with this system we are playing you need bodies to get into the box. We knew we needed to find the balance.

You must be pleased with the way the players have adapted to this system you have used recently?

Gerrard has the freedom to score goals and he can also support Torres, and the two holding midfielders can keep the balance of the team when we are attacking. It's really positive for us and Ryan Babel is also playing really well. We also have Skrtel as an option in defence which means we can change the centre backs and keep players fresh for every game.

Does not having Javier Mascherano available for the Newcastle game mean you will have to change the system?

No, we can still play the same system. It's clear something will change because Javier is not available but I don't see a big difference. Lucas could play in midfield, Gerrard could also go back to the middle and Kuyt could play as a second striker behind Torres. It's not a problem because the players have a lot of confidence. notas_de_prensa_archivo