RAFA ON GERRARD, TORRES AND FULHAM

NEWS STORY

RAFA ON GERRARD, TORRES AND FULHAM Steve Hunter 22 November 2008

Rafa Benitez took 10 minutes out of his pre-Fulham preparations to talk to radio journalists about the game and the week that was.



Journalist: How is Steven Gerrard Rafa?

He is not fit and cannot play against Fulham. Hopefully if everything is okay he can ready for the Champions League game against Marseille.

Journalist: Did it disappoint you that England forced Steven to be seen by their own medical staff before they ruled him out of the friendly game with Germany?

We know the rules and we respect the rules. I will not talk too much about this because we don't have another international break until March. I prefer not to say anything. The question was Gerrard couldn't play so we were right when we said he was injured, and that's it.

Journalist: How are the rest of your squad after the midweek matches?

The rest of the players are fit and can play. Some of them played in very difficult games but everybody is happy. Hopefully after the game against Fulham we will all be very happy.

Journalist: Fernando Torres scored for Spain in midweek, how much of a boost was that for you?

Clearly he needed match fitness and the only way he can get that is by playing games. I was watching Spain against Chile which was a difficult game played at a high tempo and he did well. He scored a very good goal so hopefully he can now score for us on Saturday. Last season he scored a crucial goal for us against Fulham and hopefully he can score early on Saturday and then we can enjoy the game.

Journalist: What's his fitness level like now?

It's difficult to say. Clearly for the Carling Cup game against Tottenham he was not fit. Against Bolton he was better and then he scored for Spain and looked sharp. What did you make of Javier Mascerano captaining Argentina in midweek? We knew this could be a possibility. He has that mentality and I know Maradona is very pleased with him so that is very positive. To be captain of your country means you have the quality, the character and the right mentality for being a success.

Journalist: Fulham up next Rafa. What sort of test will they be for your team? They are playing well. They have won their last two games in a row and have confidence. They have quality in midfield and a lot of pace up front. We know every game in the Premier League is difficult but we have confidence. The team is playing well and we want to keep the momentum.

Journalist: Will you have to keep a close eye on their front two of Johnson and Zamora? The understanding between them is good. We know Johnson from his time at Everton and he is very dangerous. Zamora is also a good player and they can both make it difficult for defenders.

Journalist: Another key player for Fulham is Jimmy Bullard who has come back from a serious injury. How highly do you rate him as a player?

Clearly he has quality. He has energy from midfield and he is always a threat. He can be very dangerous.

Journalist: You missed a lot of chances against Bolton last week. Is that something you need to improve on and be more clinical to finish games off quicker?

Clearly the team is playing well. We are creating chances and we know that we have to take our chances and be more clinical.

Journalist: Your supporters automatically expect you to beat Fulham. Does that bring any added pressure? It's always difficult, especially after an international break. We were talking about this yesterd

ay and the players know they have to be focused from the beginning to the end of the game. We don't want to make mistakes and we know what we have to do.

Journalist: Is there a belief amongst your players that you could finish as high up in the table as you have done for some time this season?

Clearly we have belief and confidence in ourselves. Also we know the only way to be contenders is to take one game at a time. That is the key for me.

Journalist: Dirk Kuyt has had a great start to the season and is scoring a lot of goals for you. How important is he to your team?

Everybody can see how hard he works for the team in every game. Now he is scoring a lot of goals and I'm really pleased for him and his teammates are very happy with this situation. He is a very good professional.

Journalist: We are coming up to the 10th anniversary of Steven Gerrard's first team debut. Just how important is he to Liverpool FC?

Everybody can see how good he is on the pitch and he is also a nice lad. When you talk with him you can see his commitment to this club. Hopefully he can win more trophies and be here for another 10 years.

Journalist: It's quite rare these days isn't it for a player to be loyal to one club for 10 years...

It's not easy. There is a lot of money around and a lot of top clubs are asking about one player, but I am really pleased to have Gerrard here with us. Clearly he has passion for the club. He loves this club and he loves the city. Maybe he can be the manager who will replace me in the future!


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