Liverpool FC

• Nickname:
• Founded:1892
• Manager:Kenny Dalglish

• Ground:
• Capacity:NaN

Benitez bemoans injury woes

26 Dec 2009 - 10:29:16

Click To Enlarge

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez believes that the ongoing fitness problems being suffered by both Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are major factors behind his side's dismal run of form.

The Reds have won just four of their last 17 games in all competitions, having dropped well off the Premier League title pace and been knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages.

Benitez said: "I do not accept that the players are not hurt by what is happening.

"They are working very hard to put things right. I can guarantee 100 per cent that they are trying to win every game and they are upset when things do not go well.

"I have spoken to several players, not just Gerrard and Torres. They are all determined to do well, but when we concede a goal now we lose any confidence that we have acquired.

"That is my responsibility, to improve confidence. To do that I have to be positive, it is the only way. The message is very clear, we have quality in our squad and we must show that.

"We can win a run of games in a row, we have done that with these same players. That is the positive thought we must retain.

"We have talked about just why we are in this position. There were many ideas, but the main one was that Torres and Gerrard were not fit.

"They have been included in FIFA's world team this week, that shows how good they are and what they can produce. But when they are not fully fit, they cannot perform to those standards.

"They still have some problems, so we must manage them carefully over a period of so many games in such a short space of time. We virtually have to decide on them before every game."