Benitez wants sterner punishments

RAFAEL BENITEZ is calling on referees and football authorities to protect the top players by taking a tougher stance on dangerous tackles.

The Liverpool boss - preparing for tonight’s crucial Premiership clash with Arsenal - was appalled by the tackles he witnessed over the weekend.

He’s still fuming over the fact that goalkeeper Jose Reina is completing a three-match ban thanks to a ‘dive’ by Chelsea’s Arjen Robben, while potentially career-threatening tackles have gone relatively unpunished.

Benitez appeared to be referring to the two-footed tackles by Bolton’s Abdoulaye Faye on Jose Antonio Reyes and a similar lunge by Arsenal’s Mathieu Flamini on Bolton’s Ricardo Gardner in the fractious match at Highbury on Saturday.

Neither was punished by a red card. “I was surprised,” said Benitez. “I cannot understand why Reina cannot play in three games for a red card which was awarded because a player decided to dive. Then you see the tackles over the weekend. I think we need to protect the players; maybe we need to show more yellow cards.

“Sometimes you try to explain, but maybe more yellow cards would be the right idea.

“Then you can protect players. There is a World Cup soon, and every player wants to be fit. They don’t want to be injured.

“If referees show more yellow cards then players will be alert, and things will be different. It means you can see more good football and not the sort of tackles we have seen lately.

“I try to tell my players to play fair. I do not like to see diving. It is right to protect the players from such things and from bad tackles. That is more important, because you see a lot of players getting badly injured.”

Benitez, whose Liverpool side have one of the best disciplinary records in the top flight, would like to see offenders suspended after just four yellow cards rather than the current five.

He said: “If you show more yellows the player will be more aware when he goes into the next tackle. We need to be stricter, you can protect fair play more easily. Sometimes you talk to a player and say he has been naughty, but if he sees more cards he will think differently next time. If we want to protect players and we want to see the best players in the World Cup we need to protect them.”

Subsequent punishments could also be beefed up, Benitez believes. “If you get three more yellow cards it should be another game ban; then if there are two more yellows it should be another game out; then two more yellows and another game ban.

“Normally the players who see a lot of yellow cards are either not fit or cannot control themselves. They are not really skilful players.

“Reina can’t play because of a player’s theatrical behaviour. To get three games out for that is not right if, for example, someone gets a broken ankle from a tackle or damages a knee. That could finish someone’s career.”

Benitez will make a late decision on the availability of Peter Crouch, whose heel injury kept him out of the win at Wigan.

He is considering using Robbie Fowler - who has an outstanding scoring record against the Gunners - from the start again.

The Anfield chief is well aware of the significance of the club’s next three games; first Arsenal, Manchester United in the FA Cup on Saturday and then away to Benfica in the Champions League next Tuesday.

“We have three important games in three important competitions now in eight days - and we are ready,” he promised.

“Arsenal are close to us, and we have to beat them to continue going forward. I respect Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. As a manager, he has achieved a lot in this country. His teams always play well, and that long run of unbeaten games last season says it all about them.”

Meanwhile, the Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva insists Arsenal can save their crumbling season by following Liverpool’s road map to European glory.

The Gunners campaign will be defined by two games in the next eight days - tonight’s crucial Premiership clash at Anfield and next week’s trip to Real Madrid.

Gilberto insisted: “We can still make it a great season. People don’t talk too much about Arsenal and this is good because you can do your job in peace. On the pitch you can do your best and try to win the game. Anything can happen in football.

“Liverpool last year didn’t do very well in the championship but in the Champions League they won. It’s a similar kind of situation.”

Wenger’s men can move to within a point of fourth-placed Tottenham if they win at Anfield. But the Gunners have taken only 12 points from 12 games on their travels this season, while Liverpool have only lost once at home, to champions Chelsea.

Arsenal’s injury problems show little sign of easing. Jose Reyes is ruled out, as is Dennis Bergkamp (calf). Wenger’s squad flew to Merseyside yesterday without nine injured players.