All or nothing: Under-fire Benitez knows his side
must win
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Rafael Benitez acknowledges
that
Liverpool's clash with
Manchester City on Saturday is
'make or break' to their hopes of ensuring Champions League
football next season.
The stakes are very high for boss Benitez, who has sent four
players - Yossi Benayoun, Albert Riera, Glen Johnson and Fabio
Aurelio - to Belgrade this week
for unorthodox placenta cell treatment on their injuries.
Now all four, plus injured trio Fernando Torres, Daniel Agger
and skipper Steven Gerrard, should be available to face Mark
Hughes' ambitious side.
Benitez said: 'This is a big game, an important game. But then
all Liverpool games are important. But this could be described as a
make-or-break game for our season.
'We are aware of City's ambitions. They have spent some money on
good players and they also have a good manager with experience.
'We want to progress and we want to be higher in the table. We
want to continue playing big teams and playing for something
important.
'But it is too early to talk about final league positions, but
clearly it is a big game for both clubs. But we must be confident
we can win.
Make-or-break: With Fernando Torres back from his spell
on the sidelines, confidence is high at Anfield that they can win
their must-win clash against City
'I am not amongst the managers, 80 per cent I am told,
in the Premier League who believe City will finish in the top four.
We will be in the top four.'
Although City have been left clutching at draws recently,
failing to win from their last five games, Liverpool are also under
pressure to break their own poor form in the league following their
2-2 home draw with newly-promoted
Birmingham nearly a fortnight ago.
Benitez added: 'The aim is to kick-start our season. 'We must
improve and a win will be a real lift for everyone.' 'We know City
have money and they have spent a lot, but we must not just keep
looking at what they are doing. 'What we have to do is to keep
going, keep playing at our best. 'We are not in a good position in
the table or in the Champions League. 'But we cannot change what
has already happened.
'We need to win two or three games and the attitude will be
totally different, with the fans and players having more
belief.
'It is normally against good teams that we do best because the
games are more open. We did it against
Manchester United, and we
aim to do the same to City.'
