Benitez confident ahead of United game
Rafael Benitez chose his words very careful when it comes to Wayne Rooney, the young Merseysider who will arrive at Anfield on Sunday with more than a point to prove after a week which has seen him sent off in the Champions League and suffer criticism and pressure from all sides.
Rooney, who scored the winner last season when Manchester United completed the double over Benitez’s Liverpool at Anfield, is once again the shadow hanging over the European champions.
Asked to compare Rooney will other great young world talents, Benitez instantly recalls his time coaching Real Madrid icon Raul and the Liverpool chief explained the difference between a great young talent and a great player.
He said: “I do not like to talk about players of other teams, only to talk well of them. As for Rooney, he is a very good player.
“I have seen many young players maybe as good as Rooney. I used to coach Real Madrid’s youth teams and I had Raul with me at a very young age, he was exceptional too.
“Every year at Madrid you could see a couple of very good players. The academies of the best clubs have the best players.
“The difference between players is not the quality or the ability of the players, it is their mentality. I recall Raul working really hard in every training session and during the games.
“He also showed a lot of control over the pressures that come with being a young player, from the newspapers and the TV.
“But all top young players have that pressure, they are always in the headlines and it is handling it that is important.”
Benitez hopes Rooney – a former Everton player and lifelong fan – does not arrive at Anfield aiming to erase the memory of his nightmare in Villarreal by taking out his frustration on the pitch against his greatest rivals.
But the Spaniard prefers to look to the growing improvement in his own side, and his awareness of the need to cut the gap between Liverpool and the big three.
He said: “It is important to win games like these, games against sides in the top three.
“For the fans it will be fantastic if we win and I know it is what they want.
“But it is no more important than playing against any of the other very big clubs, we must be under control all the time and concentrate on winning.
“These games can be emotional, but we have experienced players who know how to keep calm in such situations.
“We are in good form, after the draw with Spurs we had three clean sheets which was much better than last season and I have watched the video of the Real Betis game and know that in the first half we were fantastic.
“I do not normally say such things about my team, but we made very few mistakes and played really well as a team.
“With this kind of performance we have confidence we can beat any team. Manchester United are a big team, we but can beat them, especially at home.
“I do not like losing games, and I do not like losing twice against the same team as we did last season against United.
“I know Sir Alex is a good manager, so from my point view it would be good to manage a team to beat them.”
Benitez has some interesting memories of his first ever meeting with Fergie, a couple of years back when he took a break from management to travel Europe studying the very best.
He said: “I spent a week at United watching them training a couple of years ago when I took time off to travel around Europe and learn from the top coaches.
“I did not see much of him though, because he was having some problems over Roy Keane signing a new contract and Steve McClaren was the coach and handling training.
“I recall seeing Sir Alex for only a short time and was able only to shake hands and say hello.
“But I learned a lot there. One thing I have always remembered was the fantastic players.
“I watched them play nine against nine on half a pitch at a very high tempo and the skill and technique was just fantastic to see.”
Liverpool will have Steven Gerrard back in the starting line-up after his “rest” against Betis on Tuesday, and although Benitez tries to play down the overall significance of a clash with United, he knows how vital it is to chalk up his first victory over the Old Trafford men.
He added: “We know how difficult it will be, but we will do our best to win.
“When it comes then to playing Arsenal and Chelsea, who can say how close we will be.
“They know it is always going to be difficult for them coming to Anfield, so when you beat the best teams nothing seems impossible.
“When people talk of the 19-point gap between ourselves and United last season and the 37 points between us and Chelsea, there is an immediate way to cut it.
“You can stop your rivals taking points and claim them yourself. The gap then comes down very quickly, that is why when you play big clubs you must win to show your quality.”
