EPL - Rafa unveils new gameplan: Copy Wigan

zocoss SG

Crunch time: Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez

Sunday, 4 October 2009

Channel 27: 11:00 pm

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insisted his team will bounce back in Sunday's crucial Premier League clash against Chelsea following their Champions League defeat to Fiorentina.

Liverpool were virtual spectators in a mesmerising first 45 minutes from their hosts here on Wednesday in which the Merseysiders were fortunate to head into the dressing rooms at half-time with just a two-goal deficit.

Fiorentina's fluid passing and busy movement had left the Reds chasing shadows as two-goal hero Stevan Jovetic proved unplayable. But if the English team improved after the break, it was partly because they could not have got any worse than a first half in which their midfield of Fabio Aurelio and Lucas were overrun and star striker Fernando Torres barely got a touch.

It was more like the Liverpool of old in the second period with Steven Gerrard starting to dictate play, Dirk Kyut getting more involved and Torres becoming a threat. And that is the football Benitez wants to see at the weekend in a match Liverpool really can't afford to lose.

"I think it will be totally different, hopefully we will see the Liverpool Football Club of the second half, we will be better," he claimed before insisting that his team are as strong as ever.

"At half-time we talked about the mistakes we made and how to improve. We tried to find solutions with our mentality and channelling it in the right way. "It could have been different for us, we knew if we scored an early goal (in the second half) it would put us back in the game but we couldn't. We had two chances but this was difference.

"We were playing the same players in second half as in the first and it was different because the attitude in first half wasn't good enough."

Benitez also complained about the offside rule that deems a player in an offside position but not interfering with play not to be offside.

Former Chelsea forward Mutu was in an offside position on the first goal when Jovetic ran onto Cristiano Zanetti's through ball to beat Pepe Reina with the Liverpool defence hesitating.

"Clearly this new offside rule changes everything, it's the best rule in football this offside rule because you don't know if the player is having an influence or not," Benitez said bitterly.

"When he's in front of goal you don't know if he's involved, it's very difficult for everyone. We made a mistake, Jovetic was in a good position but this was another mistake we made." - AFP

Rooney9 SG

chelsea at home is probably too strong for liverpool. or maybe a draw.

zocoss SG

• Blues manager 'not satisfied' by narrow victory in Nicosia
• John Terry says better will be needed against Liverpool

Carlo Ancelotti was unhappy with his players following the 1-0 victory in Cyprus.

Carlo Ancelotti's patience snapped last night as the Italian delivered his own furious post-match assessment of his players' slack display after an unconvincing 1-0 victory over Apoel Nicosia. John Terry also conceded that Chelsea will have to perform far more convincingly if they are to beat Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Italian was not fooled by his side's first win on foreign soil in this competition for almost two years and, once back in the dressing room after the final whistle, he is understood to have angrily told his players that this performance was unacceptable.

Chelsea's squad had conducted their own inquest into their sloppy defeat at Wigan on Saturday but, with that meeting having clearly failed to rouse them, Ancelotti took it upon himself to stress that he expects better from now on.

Chelsea may have won this game, but they were sloppy in their passing and might have conceded an equaliser as they laboured in the latter stages.

"I'm not satisfied," said the manager afterwards. "I wanted Chelsea to play better and to take more control, to play with courage. We have to change, for sure. The players did strong work, for sure, and ran a lot on the pitch, but we have to play better. It was a good result but not a good performance, particularly in the second half. We tried to control the game with possession, but we made a lot of mistakes.

Sometimes that happens: We allowed Nicosia to get back into the game. We would not be so lucky if we played like that against Liverpool. But we will not play like we did today. We will play better, for sure."

That necessity was reiterated by Terry, with the visitors having been grateful for an early goal from Nicolas Anelka – "We have to be better against Liverpool," said the Chelsea captain. "They are a very good side who had a tough result in Florence on Tuesday. They will be up for it and they are a big club, so we will have to respond again when we play them.

"Ideally you want to play well and win, and we haven't been at our best tonight, but there were times when we passed it well enough and we came away with three points. This is a difficult place to come. Teams are getting better and better in the Champions League. We were a bit slow in the tempo occasionally, but we won the game.

"I have a lot of faith in this team and these players," said the Chelsea manager. "I was a player for a long time myself and I know things do not always go well, so you cannot be angry with the players always. Milan losing at home to Zurich tonight shows there are no easy games in the Champions League. But I'd just like Chelsea to play better than we did this evening."

zocoss SG

chelsea at home is probably too strong for liverpool. or maybe a draw.

Chelsea have their own problems recently as well... So, this one can go either way... Who turns up on the day I guess...

Rooney9 SG

Chelsea have their own problems recently as well... So, this one can go either way... Who turns up on the day I guess...

they have to do without cech. this could be a high scoring game or a close match, maybe 1-0 or 2-1 will win the game.

chelsea will be fired up to win this match after last week loss. if liverpool loses, probably showed that they are not title winning team this season and loss of alonso showed why they missed his passing.

zocoss SG

they have to do without cech. this could be a high scoring game or a close match, maybe 1-0 or 2-1 will win the game.

I guess we can say the same of Pool too, as after their lost to Fiorentina, they will be looking to bounce back at the Bridge as well...

Rooney9 SG

I guess we can say the same of Pool too, as after their lost to Fiorentina, they will be looking to bounce back at the Bridge as well...

yes, but liverpool is too inconsistent thus far. chelsea at home, I would favour them to beat liverpool.

Y_Shun SG

Chelsea's 2nd wake up call.... they better do much better this weekend. At least we are powered up with Bosingwa and Drogba.

Pity we don;t have CECH.

limpper SG

i think im going for a chelsea win this time

charlize SG

Maybe it could be tactical - Rafa wants to concentrate on the league this season rather than try to win the CL.

You never know what he is thinking.

limpper SG

yup

i think fans want more of bpl title rather than cl

for chelsea fans, i think it's the opposite.

more of cl than bpl

kopiosatu SG

the photo so funny lah

benny looks constipated

sg_forum SG

Maybe it could be tactical - Rafa wants to concentrate on the league this season rather than try to win the CL.

You never know what he is thinking.

Yes, even the players do not know what he is thinking...I am not sure whether his wife does or he himself know what he is doing...

Medicated Oil SG

I guess ah ben should keep his mouth shut and focused on "beating any one".

I dun really blame the players cos they already played to their full potential so they cannot make further improvement.

As for Chelsea game, I dun hope any miracle for them to bounce back.

They can only achieved so much with the talent they have and the formation that they played under ah ben's order.

zocoss SG

For a non fan, I think this could be a cracking match... I belief Pool will go to the Bridge to play their rush and chase style... Disrupt Chelsea's movement as much as they can... and when the odd opportunity arrive and without Cech, they can land a sucker punch on the Blues...

But one thing seems to be true though... and that is Drogba likes to score against Pool ever since Rafa called him a serious diver...

zocoss SG

Kuyt not worried about chelsea and believe they can win anywhere.

Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt has dismissed Chelsea, claiming: "I'm not worried about them." Kuyt insists the Reds have nothing to fear from Carlo Ancelotti's side ahead of Sunday's showdown after doing the double over them last season. And the Dutchman says the Anfield side is confident they can dish out another Blues bruising at Stamford Bridge.

"OK, Chelsea had a 100 per cent record until last weekend, but I'm not really worried about them," said Kuyt. "If we play to the level we know we're capable of, we can win there again. We beat them home and away last season, so why not this year, too?"

Liverpool overcame a huge psychological barrier when they beat Chelsea - and Manchester United - home and away last season and Kuyt says this makes them believe they can win anywhere.

Ancelotti has barely changed Luiz Felipe Scolari's side and Kuyt claims Liverpool have them sussed. "It's always a difficult game at Stamford Bridge, but I believe we showed something last season by winning there," he said.

"By beating both Chelsea and Manchester United twice in the league we proved we can beat most teams home and away. "Chelsea have a group of players who have been playing together for a long time with some fantastic strikers, such as Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. But we know them well after playing against each other many times."

After losing two of their first three league games, Liverpool can move level with Chelsea if they win and Kuyt says that is a great incentive. "We know what we have to do," he said. "At this stage, we've already lost twice. That's the same amount as the whole of last season in the league.

"We just have to worry about our own games for now. Chelsea is a big game, but we just have to look at ourselves. "It's too early to talk about where the title is going, but if we beat Chelsea, we will be right back in there and that's what we all want."

Liverpool are fully focused on Chelsea after their Champions League horror show at Fiorentina and an angry Rafa Benitez has demanded an immediate response from his players.

Kuyt, 29, needs no extra motivation and he is fired up to continue his hot start to the campaign. He has carried on from his 15-goal haul last season, his best at Anfield, by bagging four in his last eight appearances.

"After last season, I felt very positive coming into the new campaign and to score four goals already at this stage of the season gives me a good feeling," he said.

"The last few months have carried on from last season for me. I feel really confident every time I play. The confidence from the manager and my team-mates rubs off.

"The players know each other better now and that also helps you feel better about your game and linking up with them. "Of course, there is still a lot of room for improvement for both myself and the team, but I've taken a lot of confidence from the start of this season already.

"I've played in every game, apart from the Carling Cup game at Leeds. Now I just want to try and be better than I was last season. I want to give everything I can for the club."

youyayu SG

their level is trashing small clubs. and talk like as if they win the league

jffdevil4 SG

yuoyu......wat u said is damn true!!!liverpool been saying tat , this is our year for 20 years.now all pool fans shut the hell up already after kana trashed by fiorentina

One Harmonius Blend SG

this match should end as a draw, but you'll never know

zocoss SG

The managers of these clubs might have been in an unwitting contest to decide who was the more irascible. Rafael Benítez had an advantage since his rage was stoked by Liverpool's defeat in Fiorentina. Given that he was handicapped by a win, away to Apoel Nicosia, Carlo Ancelotti did well to deplore the Chelsea display with such feeling. There is no doubting which man is in the greater difficulty – a loss for the visitors would be a third in a mere eight league fixtures. Chelsea, though, have the challenge of regaining form if they are to win. Kevin McCarra

Venue Stamford Bridge

Tickets Sold out

Last season Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1

Referee M Atkinson

This season's matches 5 Y22, R0, 4.40 cards per game

sportingbet odds Chlesea 11-10 Liverpool 11-5 Draw 11-5

Subs from Taylor, Turnbull, Deco, Sturridge, Ivanovic, Zhirkov, Ferreira, Hutchinson, J Cole, Bruma, Borini, Kalou, Matic, Belletti

Doubtful Ballack (calf)

Injured Alex (groin, 17 Oct), Mikel (ankle, 17 Oct)

Suspended Cech (one match)

Form guide LWWWWW

Disciplinary record Y8 R1

Leading scorer Drogba 6

Subs from Cavalieri, Agger, Voronin, Benayoun, Kyrgiakos, Babel, Insúa, Ngog, Darby, Degen, Plessis, El Zhar

Doubtful Agger (back), Mascherano (hamstring)

Injured Aquilani (ankle, 17 Oct), Dossena (groin, 17 Oct)

Suspended None

Form guide WWWWLW

Disciplinary record Y11 R0

Leading scorer Torres 8

• Liverpool have registered 56 goals in 18 games since they last failed to score (Middlesbrough in February)

• Chelsea have averaged the most shots per game in the top flight this season – 26, Liverpool are second with 22

• Liverpool have scored 22 and conceded 10 goals so far – both record highs for the club after seven games

• Chelsea's 1-0 defeat by Liverpool last season was their first home loss in more than four and a half years

• All but one of the league goals Liverpool have conceded have come from set-pieces