Benitez delighted with players’ attitude

FOR RAFAEL BENITEZ to be able to describe the last few days as “Liverpool’s perfect week” underlines just how far the club have come from last Sunday’s lurid headlines.

Far from over-reacting to being told his squad was in disarray following reports of unruliness on a training trip to Portugal, the Spanish boss turned the situation to his advantage.

The speed of the apologies the day after the night before, and then the sheer quality of the performance in the Nou Camp to stun Barcelona, made a nonsense of suggestions Liverpool had rowdy players out of control.

The Reds returned to Anfield to comprehensively take Sheffield United apart, using bit-part players and an effective rotation system.

Benitez seems well in control of the situation. That he received just an email of congratulation from the club’s new American owners after the Barcelona success and that they were far from apoplectic over the Portugal incident, shows they feel they have a manager with a firm grip on proceedings.

As Benitez left Anfield he left behind Blades boss Neil Warnock complaining about Steven Gerrard’s ‘winning’ of a penalty or two.

Warnock was “disappointed” Gerrard made sure referee Steve Bennett knew all about the holding and jostling Rob Kozluk was subjecting him to.

The second penalty, five minutes later, was more clear-cut as Nick Montgomery dragged Gerrard back. Robbie Fowler dispatched both spot-kicks clinically with Benitez saying, “He’s one of the best penalty-takers around.”

Sami Hyypia and Gerrard then finished off the Blades.

Benitez dismissed the penalty row saying: “The lad had his arms out and had been warned earlier. If you use your arms like that it can be a penalty. If you keep your arms off opponents it won’t be.

“For us, this week has been very good for the club and supporters. To win in Barcelona and then return to win again, four goals without conceding, that is a perfect week.

“We had to make changes, leaving out seven was maybe a risk. But there is an understanding now, everybody knows what to do and what their job is.

“That is the key to rotation in this way. They all need to know what to do, then I can change. At the beginning of the season it was more difficult to change players, there was not the understanding.

“But the understanding is there now, they know what the staff want and it is easier to change.

“We are closer now to what my ideas are. It is not easy, you could not change seven players against Manchester United.

“But I do not want to use tired players when I have others who can step in and do as good a job.”

Opta Fact: Robbie Fowler has scored three Premiership goals this season, all penalties, all against Sheffield United and all spot kicks won by Steven Gerrard.

Opta Fact: Liverpool set a new record for the club in the Premiership of nine home clean sheets in a row — the overall Premiership record is 12 in a row set by Man Utd in 1994.