Benitez calls for Reds calm
21 Jan 2008 - 08:59:03
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has urged the club's fans not to read too much into the current league table which sees the Reds trail rivals Everton by three points.
Everton's 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic on Sunday and Liverpool's off day ahead of Monday's clash with Aston Villa has seen the Toffees leapfrog their rivals into the final Champions League qualification spot.
But Benitez is adamant the Reds can still win the Premier League title despite trailing leaders Manchester United by 15 points and insists the next three games will go a long way to deciding the outcome of their season.
"We don't think about the gap between us and the clubs above us because the only way we can change things is by winning games," he told the club's official website.
"If you start thinking of how far behind you are, it can cause you problems because you can lose focus.
"To win the title you need to get around 89 points, or this year maybe 85, and the record of our club in the Premiership is 82.
"So to win the title you have to do everything almost perfect and, because we know it is not easy, we cannot be looking at the table every week because you will just end up losing your confidence and playing with more anxiety.
"I think it is important to say the next target is to win against Aston Villa, then try to win the next game in the cup and then try to beat West Ham and Sunderland in the league and then we play against Chelsea.
"This game will maybe be the key, but for me the key is to have targets of two or three games and no more because if you think of the table you will play with anxiety and you will play worse.
"We will see where we are in two or three games and the key this year if we want to reduce the gap are the games away at Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United."