my liverpool fc

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez reckons there is a double reason why Liverpool have banished the early season woes of their previous campaign this season – they have improved both in quality and tempo.

Benitez’s side overcame Roy Keane’s bullish Sunderland outfit, cheered on by a partisan crowd at the Stadium of Light, and the Spaniard is delighted that his charges have passed their latest away day test.

He said: “I think the team has always worked hard but now we have found we can beat any side if they keep up that high work-rate.

“You could see against Sunderland how keen they were and they created so many chances. The team knows working very hard is so important.

“The difference this season away from home is twofold. We are stronger. As a squad we are better.

“Some of those away games last season were really difficult, especially after the World Cup and international games. It is a similar situation this season with international matches but the squad is stronger and can cope.”

Whereas last season, Liverpool relied heavily on their mean defence, increased options this time out with additional strikers and creative midfielders ensures that Benitez can now adopt a more expansive game.

The former Valencia coach paired his new forward duo of Fernando Torres and Andriy Voronin up front on this occasion and although he was pleased with how the summer signings operated together, he believes there is still plenty of room for improvement.

He said: “We are more attacking this season, but that is because we have more options.

“We had Torres and Voronin up front against Sunderland and they will always create opportunities.

“It is difficult to say how near or far to 100% Torres is, but it is important to see him working very hard, creating chances for himself and the other strikers and he will certainly improve. He has so much potential.

“We are thinking about finding more players and maybe after this game we will have to look at that situation again. It is not a problem to get more in because we still have time.”

Benitez added: “Voronin everybody knows is a good player with great movement. Like Torres he worked very hard up front.

“He is another great option for us. It is not important which of the four strikers plays. If we want to win we have to change the strikers around. With three games every week we have to change things around and we will do that.

“This time Kuyt and Crouch did not start but we have them available for us fresh for the next important games coming up.”

Liverpool’s win was tempered by injuries to their two starting centre-backs Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher who both left the field with a broken nose and a broken rib respectively.