ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: RAFAEL BENITEZ has challenged Steven Gerrard to lead Liverpool out of their early-season trough and insisted it is ludicrous to dismiss his squad's title prospects before the end of August.
The Liverpool manager demanded a greater show of responsibility from senior players following Monday’s 3-1 home defeat by Aston Villa, the club’s second loss in the opening three matches, with Gerrard the focus of the Spaniard’s instructions.
Benitez admits the Liverpool captain has had an indifferent start but denied it is a consequence of his high-profile court case this summer and believes any dip in form by Gerrard is exaggerated in comparison to his usual world-class standards. Nevertheless, Benitez accepts the midfielder will be integral to Liverpool’s recovery, one he believes must commence away at Bolton Wanderers this afternoon.
“We have seen Steven playing really well for a while now. He is one of our big names, a key player, and he will continue to be that,” said the Liverpool manager, who is considering moving Gerrard back into central midfield at the Reebok. “He will know he has played a couple of games that are not up to his best level but, because he so often plays really well, people can see the difference. I know he will be ready now. The players are not stupid, they know when they are not playing well and not up to their best standard. He knows, everybody knows here, that we have to improve.”
Benitez dismissed the theory Gerrard’s form could be connected to the nightclub brawl that resulted in the midfielder being cleared of affray at Liverpool Crown Court in July. “For Steven that has not been a problem,” he insisted. “I was not naming any particular player when I was critical after the defeat by Villa but it is clear everyone has to improve.”
Benitez remains composed on the topic of the title, despite dropping six points from nine and having his transfer budget revised by the club’s owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett. He believes Liverpool will not be the only leading side to falter against clubs from the “second tier” of the Premier League and is adamant no team will pull away at the summit as a result.
“Clearly we have more competition this year at the top,” he explained. “Any top side can lose. I don’t think it will be like before when a team wins the title as they have just won 10 or 12 games in a row. Everybody was expecting three wins in a row and then we’ll have won the league by September. It’s not the case. It’s impossible. We have to improve, play better, make less mistakes and start doing this against Bolton.”
Meanwhile, Europe’s top clubs will be barred from the Champions League if they do not curb their spending, a Uefa panel agreed yesterday. Uefa’s strategy council, including representatives of Europe’s wealthiest clubs, leagues and players’ unions, approved a 2012 deadline in principle for clubs to balance their books if they want to play in the world’s most lucrative club competition. It also wants to control costs by limiting how many players a club can have in its first-team squad. “Financial fair play is crucial in order to promote the long-term sustainability of European football,” the Uefa president, Michel Platini, who chaired the meeting, said. “The principle has now been established and this is a major breakthrough.”
Uefa’s new rules, to be ratified in September, would require clubs to break even and spend only what they earn from football-related income such as ticket sales, sponsorship and television deals. Uefa is also creating a financial control panel to police clubs and issue warnings, fines or expulsions from competitions.
Guardian Service
