Rafa admits to mistakes
19 Oct 2007 - 08:38:13
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has admitted that his team's recent struggles have been caused by his tactical and selection decisions.
The Spaniard has seen his side record just one win in their last four Premier League games, as well as making a poor start to their Champions League campaign with a draw away to FC Porto and a loss at home to Marseille.
Benitez said: "The problem is a tactical problem and it is my problem.
"Confidence in the squad is also an issue, but not the physical condition of the players. We are running more and faster than before."
Meanwhile, Benitez has backed captain Steven Gerrard to recover quickly from his disappointing week with England, with the Merseyside derby a perfect platform to showcase his talents.
He told the Daily Post: "All the players need help at times but I think that Steven has enough character.
"But for sure, I will speak with him and we will talk about this and I will see how his mentality is, but I think he will be okay.
"It's difficult to analyse just one player. The team is not playing well and Steven Gerrard is one of these players.
"Steven needs to keep working and you could see the other day during the game that he was working hard.
"The team is working hard so we need to improve tactically and we need to improve our confidence."