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LIVERPOOL FC: READ RAFA'S END OF SEASON REVIEW: PART ONE

In the first part of a frank and exclusive end of season review, Rafa Benitez reflects on last summer's signings, off-the-pitch events and the hype surrounding our early season form.

/noticias.info/ It can't have been an easy year to be manager of Liverpool Football Club?

Yes, clearly it's been difficult, special and different, but at the end of the day we tried to manage. It's not a perfect season because you need to win trophies, but it's not bad because we finished in the top four in the Premier League and Europe. Not the best, but not as bad as it could be.

Your team scored the most goals in the country – a trophy really is the only thing that's missing, isn't it?

We had a lot of confidence in the FA Cup and the Champions League but at the end, yes we have some records, but we want to win silverware. We need to do a little bit better if we want to win trophies.

Do you think your team has improved from last year?

Yes, I think so. The squad is better and we have a better team. Especially in the last three months; the understanding between the players was really good, we were winning games and scoring goals. We nearly got to the final of the Champions League.

You said after the Champions League final in Athens that we needed to keep up with the others in the transfer market. Do you feel you had the opportunity to do that?

This year we have improved a lot. We signed two or three really good players, and also players who've been good for the squad. Every year you must improve a lot because the other teams are doing the same. I think Chelsea have just spent £16million on a right full-back, even though they got to the final.

Was Fernando Torres your number one target last summer?

Yes, we had a list of about 12 strikers and we were checking everything about them: the age, quality and price. At the end, Torres was the first target.

Did you see it as a gamble at all, because a few other clubs had looked at him but not made the move?

Not a gamble. It terms of the player, we knew. We had a lot of information and I'd spoken to him. From talking to Reina or Xabi, we knew he wanted to move to a top side, but for us £20million was a lot of money.

Did he take much persuading?

Not really. He was really pleased. I was on holiday the first time I spoke to him on the phone and he was walking his dog. We spoke for one or two minutes but later he told me he thought it was a joke. I needed to talk with him again and tell him it was true and that we needed to progress. I think in the end he was surprised.

Ryan Babel was your other big signing. When did you first become aware of him?

We have a very good scout department. We knew about him for a long time. When Ryan was playing at the age of 16, 17 and 18, our chief scout was watching him. The key when we signed Ryan was that he was playing in a 4-3-3 or as a left-winger in a 4-4-2 for Ajax. When you sign players from Ajax they have special movements just for the system they play. To bring Ryan was a little bit of a gamble. He's a young player with a lot of talent but we needed to play him in a different position. He needed to run more and go 40 metres back, when at Ajax it was maybe 20 metres.

One player you didn't get last summer was Gabriel Heinze. Do you think the lack of defensive cover cost you in the early part of the season?

Yes, I think so. We conceded goals at the end of games and drew. The centre-backs, Carra and Sami, were playing too many games in a row. Sometimes Jack Hobbs or Arbeloa played but clearly we missed Agger. Agger is a centre-back who can play the ball, he is a threat to the opposition.

What were the aims for you and your staff at the start of the season?

We always think about winning trophies. You don't say which ones. You want to score a lot of goals and win trophies. As soon as the season starts you say the Premier league and Champions League are the priorities, but if you progress in the FA Cup and maybe can't do anything in the League, the target is the FA Cup.

You didn't have the easiest start away to Aston Villa. Talk us through that Steven Gerrard winner – how important was that on the opening day?

It was really important. We deserved to win, we played well and Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt had chances. We controlled the game, particularly the second half. To start with a win away is really important for the confidence of the side.

Rafa on the press
The journalists and fans need to ask questions. You need to be calm and find the right answers. I was at a dinner with fans and they were asking me why I only ever said three or four things. I said that it's important not to say too much because otherwise after games, you could see a lot of headlines and then you are having to correct yourself. It's better not to say too much to the cameras, it's better for the team.
It proved to be a fantastic year for Steven – 21 goals and 23 assists…

Everyone talks about Torres scoring lots of goals but Gerrard was also very good. He showed his character in games and always his quality.

When did you first realise that he and Fernando had struck up this really special bond?

We needed to find a balance. The team was attacking and conceding goals. We needed to control it and we could do that by using two holding midfielders with the power and strength of Gerrard going forward. As soon as we started playing like that, the understanding with Torres was easy.

The first home game saw Chelsea escape with a point after a really poor penalty decision…

Everyone could see it was a poor decision, especially Drogba. He was surprised. In a game against a top side it cost us two points and also confidence. We could have been higher in the table. You cannot control everything, we couldn't do anything. But we needed to keep going. We were much better than them, so that gave us confidence. We passed the ball really well and didn't give them many chances.

You then beat Derby 6-0 and were scoring a lot of goals. You went on to net 119 in all. Was there a change of mentality this season?

Not really. There were two or three things that happened: we conceded more goals from set pieces when we were doing the same things, and we scored more goals when we were doing the same things. You can't always explain. I think it's down to the quality of the players. We have better players, so we were attacking and creating more chances.

You scored more goals than Arsenal. Do you feel sometimes you don't get the credit you deserve for your attacking football?

When you talk about Arsenal, they play offensive and it's pretty. Everyone can say it's fantastic. For me, it's about winning trophies and to do this you must always have a balance between defence and attack. We think about clean sheets and scoring goals. I try to create a balance with a team that's strong at the back and also good in attack.

Rafa on Kuyt
Kuyt has a fantastic mentality and a strong character. He is a winner, a fighter. He was determined to do something important after the summer. I think it's important our fans give credit to Kuyt. Here is a striker who scored a lot of goals in Holland, who came here and played as a second striker, who works really hard for the team but doesn't score as many goals, and then we decide to use him as a right winger. He has been fantastic and has scored important goals in important games. I am really pleased with him – he is a player you can always trust.
Do you feel you have the best squad and best balance now than at any time during your four years here?

Yes, we have a lot of good players, and we also have some really good young players. This is important. I think we have the spine of the team.

As the season progressed you began to draw more games. Is it these draws that ultimately cost you the title?

I think so. We lost a little bit of confidence because we were making mistakes and, without creating chances, the other teams were scoring. I remember two or three games: against Tottenham we had two or three chances after scoring, but then conceded two goals. This kind of game makes a massive difference in terms of confidence when you want to win the title.

With all these draws, the last thing you needed was a trip to Goodison but you ended up getting a last-minute penalty…

It was a good game. Everyone was talking about the substitution of Gerrard but I decided to introduce Lucas, whose final shot (seconds before the penalty) was really good. It was a penalty. Kuyt needed to be there and be brave, but he is a player you can trust. It was a fantastic day for us.

Yes, Dirk doesn't always grab the headlines like Fernando, but presumably you don't underestimate his contribution after what was a difficult summer for him, losing his father?

Kuyt has a fantastic mentality and a strong character. He is a winner, a fighter. He was determined to do something important after the summer. I think it's important our fans give credit to Kuyt. Here is a striker who scored a lot of goals in Holland, who came here and played as a second striker, who works really hard for the team but doesn't score as many goals, and then we decide to use him as a right winger. He has been fantastic and has scored important goals in important games. I am really pleased with him – he is a player you can always trust.

Rafa on the fans
The supporters have been fantastic with me from the start. Before the Porto game (when fans marched outside Anfield) it was really important for the team and also for me. Always I say thank-you to the fans, and it's thanks to them that we progressed in the Champions League. They created a positive atmosphere for the team and supported them all the time. That was key.
Away from the League, after three games our Champions League campaign was in dire straits. Then Besiktas came to Anfield and were beaten 8-0. I know you're a perfectionist, Rafa, but could you find any fault with that performance?

No, it was amazing. We are now in the record books. Sometimes people say I am calm and I am, because I'm trying to analyse things. Even when we score three or four goals I stay calm because you must respect the other manager and the other professionals.

Had you ever been involved in a game like that?

Not at this level. With the academy at Real Madrid I remember my team scoring 16, but at this level it was amazing.

Yossi Benayoun got a hat-trick and Ryan Babel came off the bench to get a couple. A lot of players were chipping in with the goals…

Yes, I think we had six players on double figures this year. It's important to have this in case Torres is not scoring goals. In the end we had Kuyt, Gerrard, Babel, Crouch and Benayoun scoring a lot of goals.

Do you set any of your players goal targets?

No. I remember saying to a player that he must score 10 goals and in the end he scored just one, so it's better not to say anything and leave them to progress.

There was also a lot of things going on off the pitch, but you received tremendous support from the fans. Does it help you to do your job when you know you have the full backing of the supporters?

The supporters have been fantastic with me from the start. Before the Porto game (when fans marched outside Anfield) it was really important for the team and also for me. Always I say thank-you to the fans, and it's thanks to them that we progressed in the Champions League. They created a positive atmosphere for the team and supported them all the time. That was key.

It must be easier to make tough decisions, like bringing Steven Gerrard off against Everton, when you know the fans trust you?

Yes, it's important for a manager to know he has the support of the fans. I remember in Valencia some people were asking me why I was using the left full-back as a striker. I said, 'Wait'. It was the same on two or three things. But, after we became successful, people started to wait before being critical.

It was a difficult season off the pitch. Did you ever tire of questions at every press conference about things you can't control?

Yes, but football is like this now. The journalists and fans need to ask questions. You need to be calm and find the right answers. I was at a dinner with fans and they were asking me why I only ever said three or four things. I said that it's important not to say too much because otherwise, after games, you could see a lot of headlines and then you are having to correct yourself. It's better not to say too much to the cameras, it's better for the team.

After knocking 12 past Besiktas and Porto you needed to go to the Stade Velodrome and win. That must have been one of the most pleasing performances of the season?

Clearly. It was amazing. We needed to win and we did it with style. We saw a fantastic goal from Torres. There was a great atmosphere and the commitment of the players was there. We got the tactical approach right. It was really important for the club.

Did victory come at a cost because of the Reading defeat just days earlier?

We conceded a penalty and then a free-kick against Reading, and in the end I decided to change Gerrard and Torres. Some people criticised but it was 3-1 with 15 minutes to go. I knew it'd be difficult to win the game. We had one chance – it hit the post. It was a difficult decision but we needed to save players and in the end I think it was justified. We needed the big names in the Champions League because they make the difference.

Stay logged on to .tv for part two of Rafa's season review on Sunday. notas_de_prensa_archivo