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[The_Rock]

Its time to post another long post....... enjoy.


http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport....ge.html


KING OF SPAIN RAFA WILL RULE HERE TOO Liverpool... 2 Charlton...0

By David Maddock

 
NO-ONE is better qualified to talk about Rafael Benitez than the little winger he plucked from Spanish second division obscurity, Luis Garcia.

So when the Liverpool forward insists that his manager at Anfield will soon be mentioned in the same breath as Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, it is time to sit up and take notice.

A comfortable victory over Charlton, inspired by the impish Garcia, has moved the Merseyside club into a promising Premiership position, a mere game-in-hand win away from a Champions League spot.

Yet for the tricky forward signed from Barcelona, the virtually unseen rise up the table is just the start of a major stirring at Anfield.

Garcia was an unknown second division player with Toledo before Benitez took him to Tenerife and transformed him into a Spanish international.

So he knows all about the ability of the new Liverpool manager and is confident enough in Benitez to predict: "Rafa knows what he is doing. He did everything in Spain and he will do it again here in the Premiership.

"If he gets what he wants in terms of backing then he will succeed here. In a couple of years I believe he will be talked about in the same vein as Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson."

Garcia has been a revelation at Anfield, producing a series of fine displays to help Liverpool to victory in all their games there so far this season. The little winger had a hand in one goal and scored a glorious second as Liverpool easily defeated a woeful Charlton, even if they took their time about it.

Garcia did well at Barcelona last season and was well liked at the Nou Camp, but once he knew his former Tenerife manager wanted to take him to England there was no question about his next move.

"The most important thing in making my mind up to come to England was Rafael Benitez. I came here because of him, because he has faith in me," Garcia said.

"He knows me so well, he knows what my game is all about. He gives me the confidence to go out and do well, to be at my best because he understands me and how I work.

"He took me from the Spanish second division right to the top, and that has helped my career so much. I owe him for that.

"I came to Liverpool because I know what he can achieve. I saw what he did with Tenerife, and with Valencia, where he won just about everything you can in Spain. It may take time, but he will do it here."

Already Benitez has had a positive effect on Liverpool. Last season the Anfield side lost twice to Charlton, the defeats emphasising the trouble Gerard Houllier's side had in dealing with intelligent, organised opposition.

A season on, Charlton were completely outclassed, and while that clearly had much to do with the inadequacies of the visitors, it was also a reflection of the way Benitez has influenced his side to be far more adventurous.

With Garcia flitting around so dangerously, and Xabi Alonso dictating the tempo and direction of the play, Liverpool always had options in attack, especially when Djibril Cisse used his head in the second half to pull wide and expose the visiting defence for pace.

Liverpool should have scored far more. Milan Baros missed no fewer than three times from within four yards of goal to beg the question: what has happened to the striker who so impressed during Euro 2004?

Cisse, Garcia, John Arne Riise and Sami Hyypia all spurned other opportunities before Riise finally found his range for the first time in 65 fruitless matches, sending a left-foot shot into the corner from outside the box.

It had been so long that the Norwegian didn't have a clue how to celebrate.

Then Garcia took over. His goal was a cracker, a right-foot shot again from outside the box, before he unleashed a perfect volley that deserved a goal for its sheer beauty, but alas it slid inches wide. No matter how much optimism there is at Anfield, the fact remains that the coach will have to bring in at least one, and most probably two, new strikers as quickly as possible.

There is talk of Morientes and Mista, and certainly Liverpool need something different up front.

As for Charlton, they need a shrink. Boss Alan Curbishley admitted as much afterwards when he revealed he was at a loss to explain why they are so poor on their travels when their form at home is so dominant.

"We can't go on like this. I'm going to have to look at the make-up of the team because we are just not there away from home.

"It may be that we have to look at the balance of the side and make changes," he said.

HOW THE BOSSES COMPARE

Sir Alex Ferguson

WON 26 trophies at St Mirren, Aberdeen and Manchester United. Ten of those came in Scotland. Won FA Cup at United in 1990. Since then he has won eight Premiership titles, four more FA Cups, a League Cup, one Cup Winners' Cup and one Champions League trophy.

Arsene Wenger

TEN major honours with Monaco, Grampus Eight and Arsenal - six since he moved to Highbury. He won the Liga and Cup with Monaco, took Grampus to the Emperor's Cup and Super Cup. In England, he's won three Premiership titles and three FA Cups with Arsenal.

Rafael Benitez

JUST three trophies in nine seasons as a boss, all at Valencia. Won the Spanish League in 2001 and repeated it last season. His last match in charge of Valencia came as they lifted the 2004 UEFA Cup after beating Marseille 2-0 in the Final in Gothenburg.