25 - 01 - 2009
LIVERPOOL V EVERTON
Sunday 25 January 2009 16:00 Liverpool face Everton for the second time within a week determined to book their place in round five of the FA Cup.
The Reds reached this stage courtesy of a 2-0 win over Preston and although the Blues have been in fine form of late, Rafa and co will be confident they can claim victory and keep their Wembley dream alive.
BABEL EYEING FA CUP START
Ryan Babel is hoping he will get the chance to play against Everton in Sunday's FA Cup derby and help the Reds make amends for Monday night's disappointing draw by reaching the fifth round.
Rafael Benitez has already revealed he will make one or two changes to his team for the second Merseyside derby in a week, and the Dutch international is hoping he will be given the chance to impress.
Babel played the full 90 minutes in the third round win over Preston North End and admits everyone in the squad is determined to put things right after Everton's late equaliser on Monday.
"That was very frustrating for everybody and maybe it wasn't the best performance from us, but we have this FA Cup tie on Sunday which gives us a chance to play better and win the game," said Babel.
"We felt we would go on to win the game after Stevie scored a nice goal but it was disappointing to concede such a late goal.
"Everybody was disappointed in the dressing room after the game and it was very quiet. Sammy Lee spoke to us about the positive things and the fact we can put things right on Sunday, and he got our confidence up. Sammy is very important for us and he always lifts everybody.
"This will be a different game on Sunday and hopefully I will get the chance to play and help us win the game.
"We can talk a little bit about revenge maybe and we want to improve our performance and get a better result.
"I enjoy playing in the derby. I knew about the Merseyside derby when I was in Holland but when you talk about the level of both teams I think we are much better than them.
"Liverpool also has a big rivalry with Manchester United but we know how special this game is for the supporters.
"Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher also make us aware of just how important this match is and we are ready for Sunday."
The Reds number 19 is hoping Liverpool can go all the way in the FA Cup this season with the prize of playing at Wembley.
"I have never played there, so it would be great to play at Wembley," he said. "Hopefully we can keep doing well and go all the way.
"Last season was my first at Liverpool but we didn't win any prizes, so hopefully this season we can achieve something special. I believe we will win something - everybody has that belief."
The former Ajax winger recently lifted the lid on a chat in which the gaffer outlined areas he needed to improve to gain regular first-team football.
Babel is confident he can respond over the coming months and play a part in Liverpool's quest for big prizes.
"I know what I have to do and I will continue to work hard and try and be a regular in the first team," said Babel.
"I like the competition for places as it's good for your development when you have to fight for your place.
"I'm still 22 and I have a long career ahead of me. I know I am good enough and I will try and get a regular place in the starting XI."
RAFA ON EVERTON, GERRARD AND TORRES
Rafa Benitez took five minutes out of his pre-match preparations to talk to radio journalists ahead of Sunday's FA Cup fourth round clash with Everton at Anfield. Here's what he had to say in full.
Journalist: What did you learn from the game on Monday night?
I learned that we cannot make silly mistakes, especially with three minutes to go in a game.
Journalist: It must be frustrating for you, because you know your team has the ability to hang on to a one-goal lead - especially at Anfield...
Yes, we were talking about how dangerous Everton can be from set pieces. We were playing well and winning, but we have to be a little bit stronger and control the game, so we made this mistake, but we have learned that we have to score two goals if we want to control the last minutes.
Journalist: You've always said that you enjoy the derby and you've had success in it, but in hindsight and looking back to Monday did you really enjoy that occasion as well?
Not really because you have to concentrate on the game, and it was a very tough game. We were working very hard, trying to do things the right way and it was difficult because they were also working very hard. But after we scored I could see that we were controlling the game. But we lost this control in the last minutes. Credit to Everton, they were attacking and very dangerous.
Journalist: Is it fair to say your team didn't play to the 90th minute and is that something you addressed immediately afterwards?
I think that for the first 20 minutes we did not play well - and didn't play well for the last 15 minutes. But that is football, it is 11 against 11 players. One team is usually doing better than the other, so you have to do your best. We were not controlling the game in the last minutes.
Journalist: Do you have one eye on the games against Wigan and Chelsea? Will you be freshening up your team in any way for those games?
We have enough quality in the team, and I can change players if necessary - it is not a problem. I have said this maybe 20 times before: we have players who are coming back from injuries, so I think we have enough quality.
Journalist: You've spoken about Steven Gerrard following his court appearance, and he trained as normal - are you expecting a normal performance from your captain on Sunday?
I have already said before, he was scoring goals in training as normal today, so that is very positive from the training session.
Journalist: Another positive for you, of course, is the return of Fernando Torres to the starting line-up - he missed his chance against Everton on Monday but he got in the right place at the right time, do you believe the goals will come for him now he has minutes under his belt?
Yes, everybody knows that Torres needs to be fully fit and he is very close. Hopefully he will start scoring goals again soon, it will be good for us and for the rest of the season.
Journalist: If he does stay fit and manages to avoid any further injuries, could he make the difference for you this season?
Yes, he is back training as normal at the moment so he is not thinking about any problems. He is a very good player with a fantastic mentality.
Journalist: It is the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster this year, and of course this FA Cup game takes great significance with that in mind. Jamie Carragher has already spoken about how important it is that you lay your marker down even more so this year, would you agree with that?
Yes, clearly we know how important this is, so we would like to win this game because that is the way to progress in the competition and to maybe, I'm not sure how to say in English, to dedicate the trophy to the people.
Journalist: In other words, is that to show the fans how much this occasion and this competition could mean to them in what is a very special landmark?
Yes, clearly it is very special, but I don't like to talk too much. The first thing is to be focused on this game, only afterwards can we dedicate anything to the families.
Journalist: Did anything surprise you about Everton's approach on Monday - they came out all guns blazing, didn't they?
From watching the video of that game, I would say that we made too many mistakes in the first few minutes, which gave them hope from the beginning. I think we have to change this on Sunday and hopefully we can do well and they will not be as good as they were in the first few minutes.
Journalist: Many of the teams that have come to Anfield and taken a point from Liverpool this season have 'parked the bus', as Jose Mourinho would say, but Everton didn't do that, did they?
I think they were trying to win from the beginning, but they were really pleased with a point because it was at Anfield. Again I will say, hopefully we play well, and we can score more than one goal.
Journalist: Obviously you would like to win every competition that you are involved in, but does there come a time that you have to prioritise which competition you want to win most?
At the moment our priority is the FA Cup, on Monday it will be the league and then two or three weeks later it will maybe be the Champions League. We are taking it one game at a time.
Journalist: You are still up there in the league and in two cup competitions, does your side now need a confidence boost? You did well against Bolton Wanderers and then Newcastle United but now we've seen this slight dip in form...
Yes, I think that people start talking when you draw some games. It's always important to win games and show your quality. I think it's a vicious circle - if you win then you will have more confidence.
Journalist: The expressions the players' faces as they walked out of Anfield on Monday said quite a lot about what they thought of a 1-1 draw...
Yes, clearly. All the fans and staff - everyone was disappointed because the goal was scored at the end. We need to play properly on Sunday and hopefully get through to the next round.
Is a draw on Sunday the worst possible result for you?
No, the worst result would be to lose. A win is better than a draw, and a defeat is worse than a draw.
BOSS: MASCH SOON BACK TO HIS BEST
Rafa Benitez today backed Javier Mascherano to rediscover the form which saw him become the toast of the Kop last term.
Mascherano, who has started only three of Liverpool's last six home games, has yet to hit top gear after returning from Argentina's Olympic triumph at the end of August.
However, Benitez has no doubts that his midfield controller will step up to the plate if selected in Sunday's FA Cup derby at Anfield.
"I think he is ready again after the Olympic Games," said the gaffer.
"He said there was a difference and everyone could see that. But little by little he is getting better, the same as Ryan Babel. In training sessions you can see they, along with Fernando Torres and Martin Skrtel, are getting better.
"When I use Mascherano depends on the games. Xabi Alonso was playing well this season so you try to keep the balance, and sometimes if you need a more offensive midfielder you can use Lucas or Steven Gerrard.
"But Mascherano is the perfect man for giving balance to any team in the world.
"Javier has not spoken to me about not playing as much at home, he is a very good professional and he knows he just has to train well."
RAFA ISSUES TORRES WARNING
The Spain international has bagged three in three against our bitter rivals, though missed a golden opportunity to add to that on Monday when he hit the post after going one-on-one with Tim Howard.
It was Torres' first start since November, and Benitez expects his hitman to be much sharper this weekend following an intense 85-minute run-out.
"I was impressed with him on Monday. It is not easy to play in a derby when it is so intense. He was exhausted at the end but he did well," the boss told Liverpoolfc.tv ahead of Sunday's FA Cup fourth round clash with David Moyes' men.
"He is very close to full fitness - now it's just about getting match fitness. He needs to play games.
"You know a striker needs to play games and be in front of the goal a few times. That's the key - getting the confidence. The more chances you get the more likely you are to start scoring goals. Hopefully he can score this weekend."
Benitez this week reiterated to his players the importance of not conceding free-kicks in the final third against sides such as Everton.
The Reds looked to have secured a priceless win on Monday night before a Yossi Benayoun foul gave Mikel Arteta the chance to swing in a dangerous ball which wasn't dealt with, allowing Tim Cahill to head home an equaliser.
"We have talked about both things. We had to be careful and not commit silly fouls, and then after we had to defend the set piece," said Benitez.
"Okay, we made the mistake and maybe we can learn from it for the future.
"Clearly we have talked about this. The players realise that we have to improve. But we are not conceding too many goals and it is always going to seem worse when you concede such an important goal in a derby.
"We work on these things every week, practicing set pieces for and against."
Sunday's game is the first of three in a week, with Wigan away in midweek followed by a big four showdown with Chelsea.
Asked if he would rotate players on Sunday, Benitez replied: "We will see. We have plenty of time before the game but we have to think about Wigan and Chelsea. Anyway, I think we have enough quality in the squad."
Meanwhile, Benitez expects all of the top sides to drop unexpected points over the coming months.
While Liverpool have slipped up at home to the likes of Hull and Stoke this term, United have stuttered against strugglers Newcastle and Tottenham, while Chelsea were surprised by West Ham, Newcastle and Fulham.
Benitez added: "I think it will continue. The level of the teams in the Premier League is improving. There are teams who can beat you at home or away. Normally the top sides will win more games than they lose, but you can still lose or draw."
The media pack quizzed Benitez on whether Liverpool were feeling the pressure of being near the top following Monday's draw. They were shown short shrift.
The gaffer told us. "To be at the top of the table is good. To be under pressure because you are in with a chance of winning something is positive too."
RUSH'S FINEST HOUR: A TALE OF TWO FINALS
I think most people would safely assume that my favourite game for Liverpool would involve one of our FA Cup final victories over Everton.
They were both fantastic occasions for very different reasons and I think they are high up on my list of great memories, for the simple fact that, in each of them, we went on to beat Everton!
The 1986 clash stands out because it was the first all-Merseyside FA Cup final, and at that time I felt that the two best teams in Europe - never mind England - were Liverpool and Everton.
We'd just pipped them to the title a week earlier when Kenny scored that great goal at Chelsea and I think most people felt it was going to be Everton's day because of that.
At half-time they must have thought they had one hand on the cup after Gary Lineker's goal had given them the lead. But we had other ideas, and I think it was all the more sweet for being such an impressive comeback victory. It just highlighted the character of our side.
In 1989 it went the other way really. We had a great start when Aldo grabbed a superb goal, but we were hanging on then and it turned into a bit of a slog as we tried to see it through.
Then Stuart McCall equalised in the last minute and I think our heads went down.
Lots of their fans ran on to the pitch and it showed that they thought the tide had turned in their favour. They were so desperate to beat us.
One image that stands out in my mind was just prior to the goal. One of their fans ran up to Pat Van Den Hauwe and, how should we put it, expressed his frustration!
But we somehow found another gear in extra-time, and even though they equalised again just after I'd put us 2-1 up, we managed to snatch the third and decisive goal.
It was a very fitting victory when you consider what happened in the semi-final at Hillsborough.
I always think that we won it in 1986 for the players, but in 1989 we won it for the fans and the people who lost their lives on that tragic day in April.
If I have to pick one of the two I will always say 1986 and the only thing that came close to that was three years later when we walked out at Wembley to see red and blue everywhere.
Merseyside was united and I don't think you'll ever see anything like that again - not even at a Liverpool versus Everton game. The city was united before the game and the chants of Merseyside were very emotional.
Of course, when it started that all changed, but it is a moment I will never forget on what was another triumphant day for Liverpool Football Club.
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