Liverpool FC Forum

Posted: **Sat Oct 23, 2004 6:59 am**

Benítez sees room for improvement in main strike pairing

The Guardian

Rafael Benítez has asked Djibril Cissé and Milan Baros to room together on away trips to try to foster an understanding thus far missing from Liverpool's first-choice strike partnership this season.

Benítez used a similar technique to help the Real Madrid youth teams bond while he was at the Bernabéu and has already encouraged the Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard to arrange social functions for the squad to improve team spirit.

But his priority is the front pairing. They go into this evening's match against Charlton with only five Premiership goals between them this season. "I've had Milan and Djibril room together and sometimes sit down together and talk with each other about what they are doing and how they are playing," said Benítez. "I think they are friends off the pitch as well.

"You can't change the mentality of all the players and force them to be friends but you need to cultivate team spirit somehow. I spoke with Steven Gerrard and he arranged get-togethers for the squad, like trips go-karting."

Benítez's amateur psychology did much to unite the Valencia squad during his successful three-year spell at the Mestalla, helping break Real Madrid's stranglehold on La Liga and leaving a permanent legacy - an Argentinian barbecue, or parilla, at the club's training complex. "At Valencia I used to let my Argentinian players leave training earlier than the other players so they could prepare meat for the team on a parilla ," he said.

Posted: **Sat Oct 23, 2004 8:32 am**

This seems to go against StMichaels

In the posting "Where were at now" General FC Discussion in which he said.

"The two plainest problems as I see it are our defence and the away form."

The only reason I've linked is that I disagreed with it, the problem is with the forwards, period.

Posted: **Sat Oct 23, 2004 8:36 am**

I like Rafa and like his intentions but I think you've got to be a bit careful with this type of thing. It's hard to change the dynamic of any group of young men by outside interference without breeding resentment. Traditionally, you would sign a squad player who would be a "joker in the pack" or "worth his wieght in gold in the dressing room". This usually manifested itself into either a complete nutcase who played thrash metal before games and walked around punching walls, or a juvenile prankster who took delight in making sure nobody had toes in their socks. I guess it's more difficult these days when everyone speaks a different language/ has a different sense of humour/ actually prefers euro techno.
FWIW, I think on occasions a thrash metal wall puncher a la Stuart Pearce in his heyday would be quite handy at the moment. One thing we do and have lacked for a while is that unknown loony factor. It can come in handy on occasions. Stevie G looked quite promising in this department for a while and then he went and developed into a world class midfielder. Typical.

Posted: **Sat Oct 23, 2004 10:06 am**

Lol.

As you say, it must be difficult to build that team spirit, understanding and loyalty in a team with so many foreign players and a foreign manager - ease of communication is sometimes not there.

But it is absolutely vital that happens. We must play as a team and for that to happen there has to be harmony off the pitch.

Look at Holland - class individuals but divided in the dressing room and achieving nothing.

Look at Greece - prime example. The European Ryder cup team are the same. They whipped the Americans who as individuals are miles better. There sole emphasis in preparing for the match was on team work.

You cant force it to happen but you can guide the players towards it and im glad Rafa recognises that.

Posted: **Sat Oct 23, 2004 10:22 am**

bigmick & fivecups

All good issues from my knowledge of change management, the culture would sort itself out if we were wiining (or in this case scoring goals!) but when the pressure comes on the group then it crumbles.

Changing cultures is very difficult and that is why football and the fans at times still have the yob mentality which can sometimes be evidenced on the forum.

I think Raf, if not already following this strategy, needs to change things slowly. There seems little point in forcing peeps into the same room if there is already anomosity but if there is non then there maybe a basis for it to develop.

One night sleeping with some gorgeous wife/girlfriend the next looking at a road full of teeth

the mind boggles!

Posted: **Sat Oct 23, 2004 1:12 pm**

I don't know what's missing but it sure seems that Cisse is way too expensive at 14 million and he lacks the power for the Premiership. He is very quick but the Benithez way is asking him to run more at defenders and create space for himself - something he did not do when at Auxerre where he arrives at the end of the final balls and strike into goal, he does not do running and beating defenders much. Barros is better at that but he is slower.

I don't think they can be effective together because both lack power, and we need one powerful striker to complement either of these two.

Posted: **Sat Oct 23, 2004 1:19 pm**

One or both will have left, come next August.

Posted: **Sat Oct 23, 2004 2:25 pm**

azriahmad

I see you/ve spotted how lacking in strength cisse and Baros are, particularly Cisse. Until they toughen up there's no way they gonna make it, although Baros does have an effective set of elbows!

anfieldadorer

Is the rooming together on the home games, away games or just the internationals!!!!

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