WENGER
WARNING FOR LIVERPOOL
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has warned Liverpool that crashing out
of the Champions League could affect their hopes of mounting a
challenge for the Barclays Premier League title. Traditional
football theory suggests Liverpool will concentrate on the league
if they fail to claim the three wins to reach the knockout stages
of Europe's top club competition, although Wenger doubts whether
this would be the case.
"You don't know the psychological consequences it can have on a
team in the next five or six vital points until you bounce back and
find a balance again," said the Frenchman. "If you go into the UEFA
Cup it can be worse." Juggling the two has proved difficult as
well, with a perception that Liverpool's progress in Europe has
come at a price, with domestic form suffering.
This season they are unbeaten in the Premier League but have
dropped points at home, bringing Rafael Benitez's rotation policy
into question. Their talisman, Steven Gerrard, was substituted last
week and Peter Crouch, who inspired victory against Arsenal last
season, has been in and out of the team.
It means Wenger has been left guessing Benitez's starting line-up
ahead of Arsenal's trip to Anfield tomorrow. Wenger would not
question Benitez's policy, though. "I agree with Rafa that it is
the person who is right in May that counts," he said. "He has been
in two European Cup finals in three years so you have to respect
that. He must be doing something right.
"Frankly I don't like the phrase 'to keep everyone happy'. What
does it mean? If a player doesn't play he is not happy. It's like
something has been discovered when a player isn't happy. "People
react surprised that there is competition but that is the essence
of our job. We have to accept that. If I am a player and go to
Arsenal Football Club I know it will be difficult because there is
competition. I substituted Thierry (Henry), of course."
Wenger's success, though, has come from a settled line-up. It is so
settled that Gilberto Silva cannot get in the team at the moment
and Jens Lehmann will have talks with Wenger over comments he made
this week after losing his place in goal to Manuel Almunia. Wenger
has found a team that has won eight out of nine matches difficult
to disrupt - and their only dropped points came from Lehmann's
blunder at Blackburn.
The questions that remain include whether they can beat the other
teams in the 'big four', and also how they will react when they are
finally defeated, with the 'Invincibles' of 2004 suffering after
Manchester United ended their run of 49 league matches. Wenger
said: "There is one thing that is different. In the past we had
such a long run that it was the end of an era. This is the start of
a team. Should a defeat happen it will not be taken in the same
way.
"After 49 games, nearly 18 months, the guys had been on the top of
Everest and the next day you are down at the level of the sea
again. Then you say 'let's climb up again'. (They would say)
'C'mon, give us a little breather'. "The team is empty because
there is nothing to go for any more."
