by NANNY RED » Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:51 pm
Ive just been reading the tonight echo some of the quotes by Rafa and Sanchez made me laugh
Unchanged line-up was a risk - Rafa Benitez Nov 12 2007
by David Prentice, Liverpool Echo
RAFA BENITEZ is set to carry on rotating at Anfield, after naming only the second unchanged line-up of his three-year Liverpool reign on Saturday.
The Reds boss sent out the same team which had beaten Besiktas 8-0 in midweek, but admitted afterwards the decision had been a risk as his side toiled to break down Fulham until the 70th minute introduction of Fernando Torres.
“After the game the other day when we played so well, and we had three days to prepare, I thought that was enough time to recover,” said Benitez.
“But really two or three players today were really tired. In the end we won but it was a little bit of a risk because you could see that two or three players weren’t really that fresh.
“But if we score another eight goals I will name an unchanged team, no problem!”
The introduction of Torres proved a turning point and Benitez added: “It’s good to have problems like having to decide whether to bring Fernando back or not.
“It’s a problem but a good problem and to see Fernando come back and score an important goal was really good for us.
“The other strikers also do a fantastic job. Today it was Fernando, but Voronin also had two or three chances and we must give credit to their goalkeeper.
“I had confidence because we were creating chances, but we had some problems because we were attacking and attacking and leaving spaces in the middle, and they were regaining the second ball and counter-attacking.
“We needed to score then try to stay compact afterwards.
“We hit the crossbar in the first half but they were really compact and it was difficult to get beyond them.
“We had to be patient.”
Benitez admitted afterwards he had offered no particular words of praise to Torres following his 80th minute wonder strike.
“Normally you say well done to all of them, and he is one of them. It is his job to score goals.
“The idea was to keep Fernando on the bench unless we needed something.”
Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez, however, bemoaned the presence of Torres on the pitch at all.
"It wasn't working for them. That is why they brought on three substitutes. One at £25m, one at £11m and one at £5m. I think there should be a cap on the price of players you can bring on, maybe no more than £20m of players,” he declared.
"I felt we were heading for a point, and so, I think, did 43,000 other people.
"But Liverpool brought a bit of talent off the bench and it changed the game. I actually felt that Torres mis-hit his final shot, and that is what confused Hughes and Niemi. It was a soft goal in the end to concede.
HE WHO BETRAYS WILL ALWAYS WALK ALONE
X Factor we were that good
