Benitez backs Reds pair
22 Nov 2007 - 17:01:02
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has backed Steven Gerrard and Peter Crouch to bounce back quickly from their England disappointment.
Gerrard captained England in Wednesday's disastrous 3-2 defeat by Croatia which saw them miss out on qualification for Euro 2008.
Meanwhile, Crouch scored in the costly defeat at Wembley after being employed as a lone striker.
However, Benitez expects both players to shrug off the disappointment of missing out on the European Championship when Liverpool travel to Newcastle United on Saturday.
"I am only focused on my team and I will always give my 100 per cent support to Steven," he told the club's official website.
"His commitment is 100 per cent always and he will play as well as he always does for us.
"Crouch scored a great goal and he showed the quality he has. We are now looking forward to the Newcastle match.
"It will be a tough game as every one is in the Premier League, but we know if we can win we will be really close to the top of the table.
"It is a really important week coming up for us and I am fully focused on coaching and training my team."