Source: Telegraph
Rafael Benitez's Liverpool can reign in Europe
In the Champions League England's top four teams have found a way of advancing through the knockout stages and mentally, they know that they can beat anybody, which is a massive advantage. So there is no reason to think why one of them could not win it again, or why two of them should not be in the final or three in the semi-finals. Unless something untoward takes place, it could happen again.[LNB]Last season there was an element of bad luck because Liverpool played Arsenal in the quarter-finals and the Premier League could have had four teams in the semis, which would have been out of this world. Statistically this is very hard because the chances are that you are going to be drawn against each other, but there is nothing better for English football than to have two teams in the final, because that means your domestic product is better than anybody else's.[LNB]You can look at a period of English dominance over the last five years and compare it to that from 1978 to 1984, when an English team won the European Cup in every season bar one. You would go on the pitch knowing you had a huge advantage, because your opponents would be scared of your track record. Over the last four years there has been at least one team in the final in every season. Everybody appears to want to watch English football. While you could watch games from Spain and Italy and they would be better technically, the Premier League, whether it be in terms of excitement or entertainment, intensity or passion, is unsurpassed.[LNB]All four English teams capable of winning the competition. The obvious threat would be Barcelona, who look unbelievably good, but then they looked similarly good last season and Manchester United beat them. You would expect United to be too strong for Inter Milan, too. Inter are better than at this time last year, when they were very disappointing at Liverpool even though they went on to win Serie A. They have better organisation and structure, and in Jose Mourinho they have a great tactician who does not mess about. But United, as you can see from their winning streak in the league, have remarkable strength in depth.[LNB]Sir Alex Ferguson must be the only manager who can leave five players out from one game to the next and still produce a team that is incredibly strong. They are the only team who can do this and despite a horrific fixture schedule, Ferguson can keep rotating, bringing in players such as Jonny Evans, as good a centre-back as Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic but without the experience.[LNB]There are two attitudes from an opposition perspective: either you think, 'That's a strong line-up' or 'We can beat these'. If you are in the 'strong line-up' camp, it indicates you are scared, whereas if you are in the other, it suggests there is a weakened line-up. With United you never see a line-up that is less than strong and, while it will be hard for them to lift five trophies this season, they have everything in place: a defence that almost never concedes, a midfield that scores goals all over the place, match-winners in six or seven departments who always play for each other, sky-high confidence, a massive crowd at home, and that all-important track record.[LNB]Guus Hiddink's prediction that Chelsea would have to be content with a Champions League place was probably realistic, but I do not think you would ever hear Ferguson conceding that the Premier League title was out of reach. [LNB]As for Arsenal, they still have an excellent record in the Champions League, and will see Europe as a release. They tend to become frustrated domestically, coming up against two banks of four and against players who put their foot in, but European football tends to be more open, which suits them better.[LNB]That said I am sticking to my forecast that Liverpool will win this season's competition. The big Champions League nights at Anfield recently have been better than at any time I played; the crowd have been out of this world. [LNB]The Liverpool players should know that the chance to go for both the Premier League and Champions League in the same season is the best thing that can happen to them in their careers. [LNB]
